FULL-TIME: Orient 1 Brentford 0 - McGleish winner stings Bees as Orient climb off the bottom
Orient 1 Brentford 0
Orient 1 Brentford 0
ORIENT striker Scott McGleish grabbed the only goal of a fierce London derby to lift his side off the foot of the table.
McGleish struck after 25 minutes to give O’s a precious advantage and they held firm and worked Trojan-like in the second half to hang on to the victory.
Brentford, with their no nonsense approach, had the better of the second half and came close to grabbing a last-gasp leveller, but O’s held on and it was no more than the home side deserved, as they picked up only their second league win of the season.
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The O’s were quick out of the blocks against a Brentford side who had knocked Premier League Everton out of the Carling Cup on Tuesday night and Orient almost grabbed a third-minute lead when Dean Cox found McGleish, back in the side after a neck injury, but his fierce shot was pushed away by Bees keeper Ben Hamer.
The exertions of Tuesday night looked as if it may have taken its toll on the Bees, as Orient continued to press and Alex Revell almost netted on eight minutes when a clearance cannoned off him and skidded past the post.
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Orient’s pressure was finally rewarded midway through the half when veteran striker McGleish fired home his third goal of the season from close range after Revell had touched on a Charlie Daniels cross from the left.
Dean Cox went close to adding a second, and should have done better, but shot wide from 15 yards.
Brentford responded and came within a whisker of a leveller on 39 minutes when Jamie Jones failed to deal with a free kick curled in from the right by Craig Woodman and Michael Spillane knocked the ball against the woodwork with the goal gaping.
Then, on the stroke of half-time, Nicky Adams went close for the visitors when he fired an effort from 25 yards just over the bar.
After the break Brentford continued to press and former O’s skipper Gary Alexander was denied by Jamie Jones on 47 minutes.
Shortly after O’s skipper Stephen Dawson was fortunate only to see yellow after a clash with Spillane, but both players ended up in the book.
The second half was a hard-fought affair, but both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances in a ferocious derby.
Brentford should have levelled on 89 minutes, but substitute Kirk Hudson blasted over from 12 yards.
With Brentford throwing more men forward O’s almost grabbed a second on 90 minutes when Elliot Omozusi burt forward after some good possession by the home side and cut the ball back for substitute Jimmy Smith, whose shot scraped the post and went wide.
But it mattered not as the home side held on for a vital win.
Orient: Jones; Omozusi, Chorley, Forbes, Daniels; Chambers (Smith 74 mins), Dawson, Spring, Cox; McGleish, Revell. Subs: Butcher, Brown, Jarvis, Cestor, Walker, M’Poku.
Orient bookings: Omozusi (13 mins foul), Spring (45 mins foul), Dawson (50 mins unsporting behaviour)
Brentford: Hamer, O’Connor, Woodman, Balkestein, MacDonald, Weston, Spillane (Forster 86 mins), Adams (Hudson 66 mins), Diagouraga, Osborne, Alexander (Cort 75 mins). Subs: Lee, Bean, Wood, Legge.
Brentford bookings: Spillane (50 mins unsporting behaviour).
Attendance: 4,485 (inc 912 Brentford fans).
Referee: Graham Scott.
