Orient's Shaun Batt

League One: Sheffield United 0 Leyton Orient 0

Orient produced a battling display to hold the League One leaders to a point at Bramall Lane.

Russell Slade’s men travelled to Yorkshire in the midst of a mini-slump, with only one win in their last five outings.

Following their 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Crawley on Saturday, O’s lined up with Shaun Batt as a lone striker.

And the visitors created the first chance of note on seven minutes when Dean Cox forced a save from George Long.

Neill Collins went close from a corner for the home side, before Batt raced through at the other end to test Long once more.

Jimmy Smith flashed a shot over midway through the half, from Batt’s cross, as O’s continued to impress and captain Nathan Clarke headed wide from a Cox corner.

But Blades made a bright start to the second half, putting the visitors onto the back foot.

And Slade was forced into a change before the hour after Batt needed treatment and had to be replaced by David Mooney.

The hosts came closest to breaking the deadlock soon after when Dominic Poleon poked Barry Robson’s cross agonisingly wide of the mark.

But O’s, with Lloyd James impressing in the centre of the park, responded well and went close themselves on 66 minutes when Romain Vincelot played a one-two with Smith, before forcing a save from Long, who also denied the lurking Mooney from the rebound.

United upped the ante five minutes later as Ryan Flynn hit the post with a shot from the edge of the box, before the hosts made a double substitution in a late push for a winner.

Richard Cresswell replaced Dave Kitson, while Diago De Girolamo came on for Robson, but O’s were next to threaten as Mooney almost curled his shot into the top corner.

Jones was at full stretch to deny De Girolamo from distance seven minutes from time, then saw Danny Higginbotham head wide from Michael Doyle’s corner.

And Jones also kept out an effort from Harry Maguire on 86 minutes as Blades applied late pressure, before Cresswell nodded one last chance wide for the home side from Tony McMahon’s delivery.

Leyton Orient: Jones; Vincelot, Baudry, Cuthbert, Clarke; McSweeney, Cox, Smith, Odubajo, James; Batt (Mooney 56).

Attendance: 16,540 (including 163 Orient fans).