EQUALISER SAVES DAY FOR MARV
LEYTON Orient remain unbeaten six games into the new season, but they left it late to rescue a deserved point at Gateshead.
Defender Marvin Ekpiteta had been culpable for the Heed’s 77th-minute opener, but was the O’s goalscoring hero at the death.
Gateshead had been undone by a late goal for the second consecutive weekend, something that has proved costly.
Orient had been reduced to ten men after 80 minutes when sub James Alabi got a straight red. “It was the same old story for their goal,” said Gateshead manager Steve Watson. “It’s a second ball again we haven’t been able to deal with.
“We’ve thrown four points away in the last seven days and that's the difference between being sixth and second top.
“First half we weren't brilliant at all, second half we were much better, but with a really young squad comes a certain amount of naivety.
“When you take the lead you expect to hang on to it, but unfortunately it’s another hard-luck story.” Orient keeper Dean Brill was in action early on, palming away Robbie Tinkler's header. Macaulay Bonne’s drive looped up off Heed defender Fraser Kerr but Aynsley Pears tipped over. Orient looked the more likely and fashioned a great chance midway through the half. Jobi McAnnuff ’s cross was dummied by Bonne for Craig Clay to shoot over. Orient were back again four minutes later, Bonne’s deflected shot straight to the hands of Pears. Gateshead’s first-half attacks were limited and Orient were desperately close to the opener on the half-hour.
Clay’s angled shot beat Pears only for Jon Mellish to get back and hook the ball away from just in front of the line.
Subs galvanised Gateshead and Tom White, provided a cross that forced Brill to save from Steven Rigg’s header.
Orient, less of a threat after the break, threw on big striker Alabi as both sides looked to break the deadlock.
The game had opened up, Bonne having a shot deflected wide before White's superb through ball created the opener.
Middlesbrough loanee Luke Armstrong outmuscled Ekpiteta to drill the ball past Brill, Alabi then seeing red for a rash challenge on Tinkler.
But when Joe Widdowson's effort from McAnnuff's 89thminute corner was blocked by Pears, Ekpiteta smashed the rebound into the far corner.
"I was delighted with the late equaliser, and it was something we definitely deserved," said Orient boss Justin Edinburgh.