The Welsh international, on loan from Championship side Birmingham City, made his O’s debut in 2-0 defeat at Colchester United on Saturday.

New loan signing Neal Eardley believed his side’s sloppy start to both halves ultimately cost them in their 2-0 defeat at Colchester United.

The right back joined on loan from Birmingham City on Thursday, and was thrown straight into the starting line-up for the trip to the U’s at the weekend

But his debut didn’t go to plan as Gavin Massey and Kaspars Gorkss netted early on in the first and second half respectively to seal defeat for Orient.

And the Welsh international admitted that despite dominating the game, the O’s were made to pay for being slow out of the blocks.

“We shot ourselves in the foot in the first 15 minutes or so, we didn’t really get going,” said Eardley.

“With Colchester being the home side they took advantage of that. After that I thought we really came into the game. I thought we were the better team. We created some good opportunities and we had a couple of penalty appeals that could have gone our way and make it a different story.

“But at the start of the second half to go 2-0 down more or less straight away has killed us a bit, but I thought we kept going and kept probing.

“I think a couple of the penalty appeals were quite strong. The last one for me was quite blatant really; I don’t know how we haven’t got that one.

“We were trying to open them up with a lot of corners and set pieces and a few scrambles in the box and the ball just wasn’t dropping for us.”

Eardley has been unable to force his way into the starting line-up at Championship outfit Birmingham City this season following his return from a cruciate injury suffered in August 2013 against Ipswich Town.

The 26-year-old is grateful Orient have given him the opportunity to get some game time under his belt, and in return hopes to get the O’s moving up the League One table.

“I started last season quite well and unfortunately picked up a cruciate injury and that was me for the whole of last season,” he added.

“I have gone back in this year and got a good pre-season under my belt at Birmingham. I played a few games at the start of the season and then the new manager has come in and the team that he has picked from the beginning has done really well so it’s been difficult to get back into the side.

“When the chance came around to join Orient it was a great opportunity for me to get out and enjoy my football again.

“Hopefully I can do that here and put in some good performances to get the club moving in the right direction.”