League One: Leyton Orient 2 Oxford United 3 – match report

Having seen their six-game unbeaten run come to an end in the EFL Trophy in midweek, O’s included Rob Hunt and Max Sanders included in their matchday squad after injury, with places on the bench.

And tributes were paid to fallen heroes from Clapton Orient before kick-off, with the Last Post and a period of silence observed by a sell-out crowd.

Ruel Sotiriou headed over from Theo Archibald’s excellent cross on seven minutes, but Stanley Mills had a shot deflected behind for the visitors soon after.

Ed Turns blocked an effort from Greg Leigh, before Tom James put in a teasing cross which just evaded Joe Pigott and Aaron Drinan.

Jordan Brown had a shot blocked after good work from Drinan midway through the half, with another Archibald delivery evading Sotiriou.

Sol Brynn produced a superb save to deny Mark Harris on 29 minutes, with the Welshman hitting the post with a follow-up attempt.

The respite was brief for O’s as Ruben Rodrigues opened the scoring on 32 minutes, with Archibald firing over moments later as the hosts looked to respond.

And after Brown fired wide from a James long throw-in, Oxford doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time when Rodrigues hit a post and Billy Bodin pounced to convert the rebound.

The second half was barely two minutes old when Rodrigues netted a third for Oxford to leave O’s with an even bigger mountain to climb.

But they hit back almost immediately thanks to an own goal from Finley Stevens, who turned a cross from James past James Beadle.

Harris chipped Brynn but saw the ball bounce away off the crossbar on 52 minutes, while Pigott fired just over from an O’s free-kick on 61 minutes.

But O’s cut the gap to one two minutes later when Brandon Cooper nodded the ball down and Sotiriou smashed it past Beadle.

And they were inches away from levelling on 65 minutes when Dan Happe hit a post, before Brown was booked.

Darren Pratley and Ethan Galbraith replaced Turns and Brown in a double switch on 70 minutes, with James firing inches wide of the top corner moments later as O’s continued to push.

And Pratley had his name taken 12 minutes from time, as play became scrappy in the closing stages with O’s searching desperately to find an equaliser.

Shaq Forde and Sanders replaced Drinan and Idris El Mizouni in another double substitution with six minutes of normal time remaining, with Sotiriou inches away from converting Archibald’s cross moments later.

Forde headed just over the crossbar at the end of normal time, as O’s failed to complete their fightback.

Leyton Orient: Brynn, James, Turns (Pratley 70), Happe, Brown (Galbraith 70), Pigott, Sotiriou, Archibald, Cooper, El Mizouni (Sanders 84), Drinan (Forde 84).

Unused subs: Howes, Moncur, Hunt.

Attendance: 8,613 (including 1,258 Oxford fans).