O’s woes continue with defeat at Barnsley

Leyton Orient’s woes continued as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at Barnsley and now only goal difference is keeping them off the bottom of League One.

The O’s were poor for large spells and were two goals down at the break after Conor Hourihane rounded Adam Legzdins for the opener and Devante Cole slotted under the O’s goalkeeper after an error from Elliot Omozusi.

The Tykes went down to 10 men with 17 minutes remaining after goalkeeper Ross Turnbull was adjudged to have handled outside the area, but the visitors failed to take advantage and slipped to another loss.

O’s boss Fabio Liverani made two changes from the side which lost 2-1 at home to Peterborough United last weekend with Elliot Omozusi in for the injured skipper Nathan Clarke, while Dean Cox was on the bench with a slight ankle problem as Gianvito Plasmati took his place in the starting line-up.

Orient started okay, and had the first real chance of the game as the ball worked its way to Shaun Batt on the edge of the area but his turn and shot was well over.

But from that point on it was all the hosts, and they had a little helping from the O’s along the way.

Batt firstly lost possession midway in his own half which allowed Jennings to have time and space to find Kane Hemmings but he volleyed wide.

And the O’s didn’t heed that early warning as a throughball from Hemmings found Hourihane and he waltzed his way past an onrushing Legzdins to open the scoring on 13 minutes.

Plasmati’s return only lasted another three minutes as he hobbled off with injury and David Mooney was brought on in his place.

The game was devoid of much action from that point on though the home side always looked the more threatening.

And Orient made another defensive error and once again the hosts took full advantage on 38 minutes.

Jennings nicked the ball off Omozusi down the left and played in Cole, the son of former Manchester United striker Andy, and he slotted the ball underneath Legzdins to double their lead.

The O’s fans voiced their frustration at the players at half time, and Omozusi was replaced with Mathieu Baudry at the break.

Cox was soon introduced as well as the O’s tried to find a way back into the game and he went the closest as he directed Gary Sawyer’s pass back just wide.

Luke Berry was denied by Legzdins before the visitors enjoyed a spell of pressure.

Mooney headed wide from McAnuff’s centre before Cox was well denied by home goalkeeper Ross Turnbull at full stretch.

Time was running out but the O’s received a lifeline on 73 minutes when home goalkeeper Turnbull was given his marching orders by referee Mark Brown after he was adjudged to have handled the ball outside the area under pressure from Batt.

But the comeback failed to materialise as they fell to their sixth consecutive away defeat.

Barnsley: Turnbull, Berry, Nyatanga, Cranie, Hourihane, Hemmings (Lita 73), Jennings, Ramage, Holgate, Bailey, Cole (Davies 75)

Unused substitutes: Brown, Treacy, Digby, Oates, Trotta.

Leyton Orient: Legzdins, Omozusi (Baudry 46), Cuthbert, Lowry, Sawyer, Pritchard, Wright (Cox 54), Vincelot, McAnuff, Plasmati (Mooney 16), Batt

Unused substitutes: Woods, Lee, Agyemang, Dossena.

Attendance: 8,742 (549 Leyton Orient fans