Kane and Tehoue strengthen Orient’s promotion push

O’s stretch their unbeaten league run to 12 matches

Walsall 0 Leyton Orient 2

ORIENT stretched their unbeaten run to 12 league games and strengthened their play-off push at Walsall on Tuesday night.

Harry Kane and substitute Jonathan Tehoue scored either side of half-time to lift Orient to seventh in the table and eight points off the play-offs – but with four games in hand on sixth-placed MK Dons.

The home side had more of the ball, but it was Orient who showed a ruthless streak in front of goal to keep their impressive run going.

Orient boss Russell Slade named the same starting 11 that had beaten Notts County by an identical score at the weekend and the O’s were quick out of the traps against Dean Smith’s improving Walsall side.

Defender Charlie Daniels flashed a shot across the face the goal and skipper Stephen Dawson knocked an effort wide after Alex Revell provided the cross.

But Walsall, looking to avoid the drop, started to take a grip and they went within a whisker of taking the lead on 19 minutes when the impressive Jamie Jones blocked a fierce shot from Matt Richards and Julian Gray slammed the rebound against the woodwork.

Then Emmanuel Ledesma’s ball found Richard Taundry, but the home striker, under pressure from Daniels, could only fire tamely at the visiting keeper.

The momentum was with the home side and just after the half-hour O’s defender Andrew Whing headed a Taundry cross clear but Marc-Antoine Gbarssin sent in a dipping 30-yard strike that clipped the top of the bar.

But, just before the break, O’s grabbed the lead when a cross from Dean Cox was deflected into the path of on-loan Spurs youngster Kane and the teenager sent a looping header beyond the reach of Walsall keeper James Walker.

Walsall started the second half brightly and Jones blocked a Taundry free-kick with his legs and then Ledesma fired over.

But O’s all but wrapped up the points when, on 56 minutes, Tehoue, who had only been on the pitch for six minutes after replacing Alex Revell, grabbed his 10th goal of the season.

Daniels was the architect and provided the perfect cross from the left for the Frenchman to ram home from close range.

The same player also set up another goal shortly afterwards when the defender sent in another cross, but Kane’s effort was saved by Walker.

Walsall tried to respond and Julian Gray twice went close, while the impressive Jones beat away Jon Macken’s fierce shot, but the Saddlers could not stop Slade’s Orient Express, which has worked up a real head of steam.

Leyton Orient: Jones, Whing, Omozusi, Forbes, Daniels, Spring, Dawson, Carroll (Chambers 70 mins), Cox, Kane (McGleish 83 mins), Revell (Tehoue 50 mins). Subs: Butcher, Jarvis, Odubajo, M’Poku.

Orient bookings: Forbes.

Attendance: 3,019 (inc 208 Orient fans).