Leyton Orient 1-0 Yeovil Town: Last minute header knocks out Glovers

David Mooney's last minute header broke Yeovil Town hearts and ensured ten-man Leyton Orient progressed in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

The last gasp diving effort was enough to settle a cagey area semi-final that the hosts deserved to win against opposition that failed to find any rhythm or fluency.

Not even an impressively vocal 815-strong travelling support or Anthony Griffith's second half red could inspire the Glovers to genuinely trouble the hosts as dreams of Wembley were shattered.

Gary Johnson was forced into making one change to the team that beat Orient on New Year's Day, with Sam Foley replacing cup-tied hot shot Paddy Madden.

With both sides starting tentatively, the hosts enjoyed the best of the first chances. On six minutes Mathieu Baudry could only head Dean Cox's free kick wide of the target before Lloyd James fired harmlessly behind the goal five minutes later.

Ed Upson's weak and deflected drive that was easy for Jamie Jones to catch on 16 minutes summed up a sub-standard start to the clash, before Byron Webster created unnecessary panic amongst the Yeovil defence by slicing behind a hopeful ball forward.

Dominic Blizzard came close to injecting life into the game on 27 minutes. When Orient failed to clear a Yeovil attack, the centre half was first to Webster's head on and Jones tipped his shot around the post at full stretch.

Six minutes before time Jamie McAllister tried to test Jones with a skidding header from Luke Ayling's right wing cross but the keeper was comfortably behind it.

Marek Stech was called into action for the first time on 42 minutes, his powerful push preventing Richard Mooney a sniff of Ben Chorley's strong header.

As the game entered injury time at the end of the half Mooney found Kevin Lisbie in room but the striker was unable to beat the only Yeovil defender who had managed to track back.

The hosts were first to threaten after the break when Anthony Griffith found space on the right, side-stepping Dan Burn and rolling back for Moses Odubajo to fire wide.

Middlesbrough loanee Matt Dolan was then handed his Glovers debut on 48 minutes when Dolan limped off with a knee injury.

On 51 minutes Odubajo controlled without company 25 yards from goal and Stech could only parry the winger's rasping drive.

Jones was sent scampering to his left on 63 minutes when Gavin Williams spotted the stopper off his line and his audacious 35-yard effort crept just wide of the target.

Five minutes later Stech superbly pushed over Odubajo's strike in space when the winger should have done better before Cox had calls for a penalty waved away.

Despite looking the better team, Orient's task become steeper on 76 minutes when Griffith was dismissed for two bookings in four minutes. He saw yellow for a foul on Williams and then kicked the ball away following a separate incident.

Four minutes from the final whistle Blizzard headed on McAllister's free kick but Jones comfortably caught.

The game was settled on 89 minutes when Mooney's diving effort made the most of a static Yeovil back line and beat Stech.

There was still time for substitute Lee Cook to rattle the bar on the break and despite piling forward in numbers, Yeovil were unable to level, leaving former Glovers' boss Russell Slade celebrating with fans at the final whistle.

MATCH STATS

Leyton Orient (4-4-2) - Jones; Cuthbert, Chorley, Baudry, Sawyer (Cook, 71); Odubajo, James, Griffith, Cox; Lisbie (Symes, 59), Mooney. Unused subs: McSweeney, Smith, Allsop.

Goals: Mooney 89.

Bookings: Griffith (foul, dissent), Odubajo (foul).

Dismissal: Griffith (two bookable offences).

Yeovil Town (4-4-2) - Stech; Ayling, Webster, Hinds, Burn; Williams (Ralph, 77), Upson (Dolan, 48), Blizzard, McAllister; Foley (Dawson, 72), Hayter. Unused subs: Reid, Stewart.

Goals:

Bookings: Webster (dissent).

Ref: Darren Sheldrake

Att: 2,755.

LEYTON ORIENT 1-0 YEOVIL TOWN - IN PICTURES

Photos: Leyton Orient 1-0 Yeovil Town (Johnstone's Paint Trophy)