Pre-season friendly: Dagenham & Redbridge 1 Leyton Orient 2

Paul McCallum scored his second goal of pre-season to help give Leyton Orient a victory at local rivals Dagenham & Redbridge.

The hosts took an early lead, but Armand Gnanduillet levelled just before the break as Andy Hessenthaler’s side grew into the contest.

With the friendly looking likely to finish a draw, McCallum popped up in the dying seconds to find the net and give the League Two club a victory.

Orient announced the loan signing of Bournemouth attacker Harry Cornick just over an hour before kick-off.

The 21-year-old, who played against the O’s on the final day of last season for Yeovil Town, has joined until January, but wasn’t involved at Victoria Road.

Charlie Grainger was given an opportunity from the off with Myles Judd lining up at right-back and Josh Doherty on the left.

Reece Brown partnered Tom Parkes in the heart of defence with Nigel Atangana, captain for the night, alongside Sammy Moore in midfield.

Dean Cox was out on the left with Josh Koroma on the opposite flank and Ollie Palmer up front with Gnanduillet.

Jay Simpson was left out of the match day squad all together, but present at the ground and chatting to fans before kick-off.

Nicky Hunt and Aron Pollock, both out injured, were also sitting in the stand and supporting their team mates.

Orient got proceedings underway and it was the hosts who threatened first with Fejiri Okenabirhie cutting inside and curling wide via a deflection after two minutes.

The corner came to nothing and five minutes later Daggers created another opportunity when Christian Assombalonga, the brother of Nottingham Forest striker Britt, outmuscled Doherty on the left.

He passed into Jordan Maguire-Drew, inside the box, but he fired wide and the chance was wasted.

Hessenthaler’s men responded in the 12th minute when Palmer spun away from his marker and ran towards goal.

The O’s forward worked a yard of space and lashed goalwards, but dragged his effort well wide.

Three minutes later and the League Two club pushed forward again with Cox, though Mark Cousins saved with ease.

Although the Brisbane Road outfit were slowly working their way into the game they had looked shaky at the back.

Grainger had spilled a cross and also took too long with a kick inside the first 10 minutes and was soon picking the ball out of his net.

A long pass forward was controlled well by Okenabirhie and he delivered a dangerous cross into the box.

It was perfect for Oliver Hawkins, free at the back post, as he tapped in from close range to give Daggers the lead in the 18th minute.

Orient seeked a response and nearly got it six minutes after the opener when Cox and Moore linked up from a corner.

The O’s number seven opened up his body and struck a low effort which Cousins pushed out.

Moore headed wide a Koroma cross afterwards before a catalogue of errors resulted in Assombalonga firing over from eight-yards.

Another opportunity was made with half an hour gone when Gnanduillet picked out Cox, but he blazed off target after coming inside on his right foot.

Parkes was looking a lot more composed at the back and brought the ball forward before finding Doherty.

Although the left-back was disposed, Parkes got hold of the ball again, played a one-two with Cox and had an effort blocked for a corner.

It come to nothing and despite Orient enjoying the lions share of possession, they were still trailing at Victoria Road.

Four minutes before the break and Koroma demonstrated his ability with a wonderful piece of skill.

The O’s youngster controlled the ball on the edge of the box, knocked it over his opponent before volleying just past the post.

It was an encouraging moment for Hessenthaler’s team and two minutes later they levelled the scores.

Moore played a wonderful long range ball out to Cox on the left and he delivered a dangerous cross into the box.

Palmer was a fraction away from it, but Gnanduillet stole in ahead of Cousins to tap in the equaliser.

Just before the half time whistle Grainger made an excellent save from a Hawkins header, but it was offside anyway and at the break it was 1-1.

Alex Cisak, Yvan Erichot and Sandro Semedo were introduced for the second period with Grainger, Judd and Doherty the men to make way.

Brown moved out to the right and in the 49th minute, Orient nearly went ahead when Gnanduillet did well on the left.

He outmuscled Scott Doe, ran towards the Dagenham goal and smashed against the crossbar from a tight angle.

There was slight concern afterwards when Erichot clashed with Hawkins, but after a couple of minutes delay he was able to continue.

Chances continued to come for the visitors with a Parkes heading setting up Gnanduillet next, but he volleyed just past the post.

Koroma forced Cousins to tip behind for a corner minutes later and O’s had the hosts penned in for a while.

Dagenham defended a succession of set pieces well before Hessenthaler made a triple substitution.

Robbie Weir was introduced and took the armband with Liam Kelly and McCallum also coming on.

Atangana, Palmer and Moore made way in the 62nd minute and more good play by the away side resulted in Koroma being fouled around 25-yards-out.

Cox stepped up to take the free kick and although he got it over the wall, it failed to test Cousins in the Daggers goal.

Koroma made way afterwards to applause with Freddy Moncur, who impressed at Woking last week, taking his position on the right.

Parkes and Gnanduillet made way next with Sean Clohessy moving to right back and Jordan Bowery introduced up top.

Moncur helped the next opportunity of note when he cut back for McCallum, but his effort was deflected and Cousins saved with 14 minutes remaining.

Cox’s night was over after that as he left the field to warm applause from the Orient fans with Gavin Massey replacing him.

Dagenham made the next change and it was a poignant one as Sam Ling, released by O’s in the summer and the son of ex-manager Martin Ling, come on.

The substitutions halted the flow of the game somewhat, but it was the away team that looked more likely to find a winner.

Bowery nearly produced the key third goal when Kelly picked him out from a corner, but the striker headed wide.

Orient pushed to take the lead and on the stroke of full time snatched the victory at Victoria Road.

Clohessy got well on the right and crossed in for McCallum, Cousins made an excellent initial save, but the O’s forward dived at the rebound and headed into the net.

It was another great moment for the striker that missed the majority of last season after suffering cruciate knee ligament damage.

The full time whistle followed soon after to hand Hessenthaler’s men a third success of the summer.

Dagenham & Redbridge: Cousins, Williams (Ling 79(, Robson, Doe, Widdowson, Boucaud, Robinson (Gutteridge 65), Assombalonga (Staunton 65), Maguire-Drew, Okenabirhie, Hawkins.

Unused substitutes: Justham, Raymond, Victor, Shepherd, Donnellan.

Leyton Orient: Grainger (Cisak 46), Judd (Erichot 46), Brown, Parkes (Clohessy 73), Doherty (Semedo 46), Koroma, Moore (McCallum 62), Atangana (Weir 62), Cox (Massey 77), Palmer (Kelly 62), Gnanduillet (Bowery 73).

Unused substitutes: Kennedy,

Attendance: 938 (326 Leyton Orient supporters).