O’s boss Richie Wellens named an unchanged starting line-up from their midweek meeting, which was abandoned in the closing minutes due to a medical emergency in the crowd.
And both sides paid tribute to the memory of O’s supporter Derek Reynolds, who sadly passed away following the incident, with a minutes applause as Idris El Mizouni and Nelson Abbey placed wreaths on the East Stand touchline.
O’s began brightly, forcing a couple of early corners as Joe Pigott and Jordan Brown had efforts deflected behind, and Rob Hunt did well to find Pigott in the box, but his shot was blocked by Tyler Bindon.
Femi Azeez escaped a booking after bringing down Ruel Sotiriou on 14 minutes, with Pigott seeing a header from Theo Archibald’s cross tipped onto the crossbar by David Button moments later.
Pigott was denied by a fine low save from Button on 18 minutes, with Bindon booked soon after, and Sotiriou shot wide after another good delivery from Archibald as O’s continued to dominate.
But the breakthrough came on 26 minutes when the ball fell to Brown inside the box and he fired an unstoppable shot past Button to give the hosts a deserved lead.
Max Sanders went off injured to be replaced by Moncur, while Dominic Ballard cut inside and shot into the hands of Sol Brynn, then headed Matthew Carson’s cross against the right post.
But the Royals were back on terms on 35 minutes as Bindon found the net with a low left-footed shot.
Brynn produced a superb save to deny Harvey Knibbs three minutes before the break, but O’s saw Brandon Cooper head wide from Archibald’s corner in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
And Pigott was inches away from converting Sotiriou’s cross three minutes after the restart, before Happe’s header from Brown’s free-kick – for a foul on Sotiriou – missed the target.
Brown picked out Sotiriou to cross for Pigott moments later, but his header was blocked behind for a corner, before Hunt was booked just past the hour mark.
Wellens made a triple change midway through the second half, replacing Pigott, Hunt and Happe with Aaron Drinan, Jordan Graham and Tom James.
And O’s were inches away from regaining the lead on 71 minutes when Sotiriou rattled the crossbar from a tight angle as play swung from end to end.
Archibald’s half-volley was gathered by Button before the 8,639 crowd shared a minute’s applause for Reynolds.
And Moncur pounced to smash home a second for the home side in the last minute of normal time after a goalmouth scramble.
Leyton Orient: Brynn, Turns, Happe (James 67), Brown, Pigott (Drinan 67), Sotiriou, Archibald, Cooper, El Mizouni, Sanders (Moncur 31), Hunt Graham 67). Unused subs: Howes, Sweeney, Pratley.
Attendance: 8,639 (including 1,253 Reading fans).
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