Leyton Orient fell to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Cambridge United at the Cambs Glass Stadium in a Sky Bet League Two fixture.

Luke Berry, Liam O’Neil and George Maris were all on the scoresheet as the U’s looked to make a late run for a playoff spot.

Orient’s young boys were pressured from the get-go and could not keep up with the more experienced Cambridge side.

This result means their goal difference of -34 is greater than the points they have accumulated over the season, 32.

Omer Riza will be back for next week’s match away from home at Luton Town after he served a one-match touchline ban for being sent off in their 2-0 loss to Wycombe Wanderers last weekend.

Rowan Liburd had the first chance of the game when he won the ball back off of Greg Taylor but his effort went well wide of the post.

Liburd went on a run four minutes later when he only had to skip past two defenders but Taylor was equal to his effort and won the ball.

In the 10th minute, Josh Koroma ran at the Cambridge pack but the chance from outside the area ended with the forward dragging a shot wide of the post.

After Harrison Dunk’s cross was put out for a corner by Michael Clark, Maris’ corner was headed up in the air by Liburd before Sam Sargeant collected the ball.

The U’s Bradley Halliday drilled a shot from the edge of the area which hit his teammate Uche Ikpeazku and went behind for a goal-kick.

A minute later, Cambridge started to up the pressure and Jake Carroll’s low shot from outside the area was parried behind for a corner by Sam Sargeant.

The impending corner saw Leon Legge come racing in to meet Maris’ corner but he was unable to get there and the ball went out for a throw-in to the O’s.

But the deadlock was only short lived after Dunk put in a good cross for Berry to head the ball past Sargeant and into the back of the net.

Freddy Moncur delivered a great cross into the box in the 37th minute and Liburd headed the ball towards the inside post but Will Norris dived at full stretch to keep it out of the net.

And things went from bad to worse for Orient when O’Neil doubled the home side's lead from a header off of Maris free-kick just before half-time.

Into the second half, and Cambridge maintained the same pressure as in the first and Dunk almost made it three but his header ricocheted off the post and came back out.

The U’s gained their third eight minutes into the final 45 when Maris drilled the ball home from close range following a scramble in the box.

Aron Pollock displayed some good defending when he put the ball behind for a corner off of a Halliday cross, the corner was well covered by Sargeant who punched the ball clear.

Medy Elito made an instant impact one minute after coming off the bench but his diving header from a Conor Newton cross was wide of the post.

Dan Happe’s debut came to an end in the 76th minute when he limped off the pitch and was replaced by Henry Ochieng.

O’Neil looked to score his second of the match with 10 minutes left to play but he could only let the ball fly wide of the left-hand post.

The second half was a one-sided affair and Orient’s youngsters were no match for this United side.

Cambridge starting XI: Norris, Taylor, Legge, Berry, Dunk, O’Neil, Maris (McGurk 68), Carroll, Newton (Lewis 82), Ikpeazu (Elito 63), Halliday Subs not used: Gregory, Roberts, Williamson, Clark Orient starting XI: Sargeant, Moncur, Clark, Pollock, Semedo, Kelly, Collins, Happe (Ochieng 76), Alzate, Koroma (Adeboyejo 61), Liburd (Abrahams 61) Subs not used: Grainger, Dalby, Baker, McLean