Orient remain unbeaten thanks to late Mooney strike at Yeovil
League One: Yeovil Town 2 Leyton Orient 2
Two-goal David Mooney helped stretch Orient’s unbeaten run to six games at Yeovil Town on Tuesday night as he made it a happy return to Huish Park for former Glovers boss Russell Slade
Mooney, a summer signing from Colchester, grabbed his first league goal for the club on the half-hour, but Yeovil hit back with two goals in a four-minute spell just before half-time as first Kieran Agard levelled and then Bondz N’Gala headed the home side in front.
But O’s, who have made a habit of scoring late goals, struck a leveller three minutes from time when Mooney netted from the spot after substitute George Porter had been fouled by home keeper Marek Stech.
O’s were forced to make three changes from the side that drew with Sheffield United last weekend.
With defender Charlie Daniels starting a three-game ban after his red card, young French full-back Mike Cestor was given his first league start of the season.
While Marc Laird was also given the selection nod and made only his third league start since joining from Millwall in the summer.
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He replaced Tom Clarke after the on-loan Huddersfield Town midfielder suffered an ankle injury at the weekend.
On a difficult surface, it was Mooney that put Orient ahead on 30 minutes when Dean Cox provided the cross and the striker headed home from close range.
But Yeovil, who started the game at the foot of the table, turned the game on its head with two goals in four minutes as they came storming back
The visitors saw their lead last for just seven minutes as Agard levelled inside the six-yard box and worse followed when N’Gala headed home from close range.
After the break Yeovil looked to stretch their advantage and Terrell Forbes, another former Yeovil old boy, made two important clearances and then Scott Cuthbert blocked a shot by former O’s defender Darren Purse.
The home side could have wrapped the game up on 62 minutes when Edward Upson’s shot was handled by Cuthbert – but Paul Wotton saw his spot-kick go wide of the left-hand post.
O’s boss Slade threw Porter and Jimmy Smith into the fray and then Jamie Cureton and O’s pressed hard for a leveller and they were rewarded four minutes from time when Stech brought down Porter.
Mooney stepped up and made no mistake to give O’s a point to keep them in 19th place and Slade’s side now head for Rochdale at the weekend having taken 12 points from the last 18.
Yeovil Town: Stech, Jones, N’Gala, Blizzard (Hayes-Brown 83 mins), Upson, Ehmer, Johnson (Gilbert 72 mins), Agard, Wotton, Massey, Purse. Subs: Stewart, Edgar, Gibson.
Yeovil bookings: Ehmer (12 mins), Agard (68 mins), Stech (86 mins)
Leyton Orient: Butcher, McSweeney, Cuthbert, Forbes, Cestor (Smith 64); Spring; Mooney, Laird (Porter 63 mins), Dawson, Cox; Lisbie (Cureton 71 mins). Sub: Lovelock, Obudajo.
Orient bookings: Dawson (58 mins)
Referee: Lee Collins
Attendance 3,121
