Carlisle United Football Club

United made the trip to the capital for their first February fixture.

Manager Paul Simpson made five changes from the side that lost to Bolton Wanderers last time out - as January signings Jack Diamond and Josh Vela were handed first starts after making cameo appearances against the Trotters.

Fin Back, Jack Robinson and Jordan Gibson also came in from the start as part of a reshuffled pack in East London.

The hosts entered the game on the back of a six-game unbeaten run and created the first opening in the fourth minute. A long ball from the back set Theo Archibald away and he lofted his strike from the edge of the area over Harry Lewis but wide of the post.

Clear-cut chances were at a premium in the early exchanges, although Harry Lewis did have to palm away a deflected 25-yard strike from Jordan Brown after a spell of Orient pressure.

The Blues were dealt a blow in the 20th minute when the lively Diamond was forced off through injury - Sean Maguire taking his place.

And the Irishman played a key role in the opening role with his first touches of the game. He slipped Robinson into the area down the left-hand side and the wing-back's cross wasn't convincingly dealt with - before Omar Beckles' attempted clearance smashed off Vela and into the back of the net for his first goal for United.

Orient responded well and came close to a leveller when Shaq Forde found some space on the right, only to arrow his shot over the bar from the angle.

Lewis then had to stand up and parry a powerful strike from George Moncur, but there was little the United stopper could do about the hosts' leveller - Forde side-footing home a fine finish from the edge of the box.

Idris El Mizouni then forced Lewis into another fine save as his snapshot from inside the area looked goalbound as Richie Wellens' side ended the half strongly.

And they would take the lead before the break - Forde heading home from six yards after Brown nodded a corner back across goal, with the Blues left aggreived as they felt the set piece shouldn't have been awarded after appeals for a foul on Ben Barclay in the build-up.

Lewis was the busiest of the two stoppers after the restart too, and he had to hold an early 18-yard drive from Ruel Sotiriou. 

The striker wouldn't be denied again though, slotting into the bottom corner from the edge of the area after a quick Orient break just before the hour mark.

Brown was then denied on the half-volley by a Lewis block before Sam Lavelle had to make a crucial interception to stop substitute Joe Pigott nodding home as the hosts eyed a fourth.

United tried to find a route back into the game and were handed the chance to pull a goal back from the penalty spot in injury time after Dan Butterworth's low cross skipped up and struck the arm of Brown.

Maguire took responsibility for the spotkick and converted, sending Sol Brynn the wrong way, but there was no time for a leveller as Orient saw out the remaining seconds.

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Goals

Leyton Orient - Forde (40, 40+4), Sotiriou (58)

Carlisle United - Vela (21), Maguire (90+4)

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Bookings

Leyton Orient - Galbraith (56), El Mizouni (69), Hunt (81), Forde (83)

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Teams

Leyton Orient - Brynn, James, Happe, Brown, Sotiriou (Pigott 75), Archibald (O'Neill 75), Moncur (Hunt 71), El Mizouni, Forde (Pratley 85), Beckles (Cooper 85), Galbraith. Subs: Howes, Edwards

Carlisle United - Lewis, Back (Butterworth 73), Lavelle, Gibson (Grehan 73), Robinson, Mellish, Barclay, Diamond (Maguire 20), Neal, Armstrong, Vela. Subs: Breeze, Armer, McCalmont, Charters