Lisbie also on target as O’s win four out of five away

Bournemouth 1 Leyton Orient 2

Jimmy Smith headed home the winner 15 minutes from time as battling Orient continued their impressive travelling form, making it four wins from their last five away games at Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

Striker Kevin Lisbie put Orient ahead with his seventh goal of the season after just 17 minutes and after Marc Pugh levelled before the break, Smith grabbed a late winner as the visitors caught Bournemouth on the break.

But O’s had to dig deep for the win, as the promotion-chasing Cherries had more of the possession, but failed to make it count as Orient old-boy Charlie Daniels ended up on the losing side in his first meeting with his former club.

Orient boss Russell Slade gave on-loan Southampton defender Ryan Dickson his debut at left-back, as Leon McSweeney dropped to the bench, while there Jonathan Tehoue make his first league start of the season, while new signing Solomon Taiwo had to make do with a place on the bench.

O’s started with skipper Matt Spring and Marc Laird sitting in front of the back four, but it was the home side who created the first real chance when Matt Tubbs shrugged off a challenge from Scott Cuthbert, but sent his shot just wide of the target.

The visitors had a good spell as Smith had a shot deflected and Dean Leacock headed over, before Orient stunned the home side when Lisbie netted after 17 minutes.

Debutant Dickson delivered a free-kick into the penalty area which was only half-cleared and the ball fell neatly for Lisbie to beat Darryl Flahavan at his near post.

That was as good as it got for the visitors in the first half, as Bournemouth started to take a grip and O’s almost contributed to their own downfall just after the half-hour mark.

Goalkeeper Lee Butcher, who had a good game, took a heavy touch from Cuthbert’s back pass and just managed to recover in time as smothered the ball at the feet of Bournemouth’s Wes Thomas.

So it came as no real surprise when Pugh levelled a minute later. Thomas was the architect with a run down the right and he rolled the ball into the box for Pugh to fire home.

The home side had their tails up and Butcher made a smart save to keep out Donal McDermott’s low shot, then the keeper made a regulation stop when Daniels tried his luck from long range as he looked to put one over his former club.

O’s could have regained the lead four minutes into the start of the second half when Dickson’s right-wing corner found Smith, but Flahavan was able to make a smart save.

The visitors looked more solid in the second half, but as Bournemouth regained some momentum the O’s survived two penalty appeals in quick succession, first Leacock appeared to drag down Tubbs as the visiting defender made an important challenge.

Then the O’s defender was involved again when he blocked a fierce shot and as Bournemouth looked the most likely side to win the game, Butcher made another important save when he denied the dangerous Tubbs 22 minutes from time.

However, it was the O’s who struck the all-important winner 15 minutes from time when Tehoue sent over a cross from the left and Smith met the ball perfectly to out-jump Daniels and send a powerful header exploding into the net.

Despite five minutes of stoppage time, and as many yellow cards, Orient stood firm and recorded their sixth away win of the season.

Orient: Butcher 7, Forbes 6, Cuthbert 7, Leacock 7, Dickson 7, Spring 6 (Chorley 87 mins), Lisbie 7, Laird 6, *Smith 7, Cox 6, Tehoue 7 (Porter 82 mins). Subs: Cureton, McSweeney, Taiwo.

Attendance 5,412 (inc 241 Orient fans).

Orient bookings: Spring, Forbes, laird, Cuthbert, Butcher.