Leyton Orient boss Russell Slade described their first victory at Port Vale for 57 years as "fantastic" after they kept pace with their promotion rivals.

The O's battled to a 2-0 victory at Port Vale which kept them second in League 1 and in front of this weekend's opponents Brentford.  

Slade said: "It's fantastic. It's a big old ground with a lot of tradition. It's always been a difficult club to come to and get a result. But I've always felt when you come to Port Vale that your wide players are so important because it's such a big surface and playing area. I thought our wide two tonight were excellent."

Orient had to wait until just before the break for the opener as Dean Cox hit a superb strike for the crucial breakthrough. 

Slade said: "I didn't think we started fantastically well I have to say. We were a little bit sloppy but we grew into the game and scored a wonderful goal in the first period which got us in front. 

"It was a wonderful finish. It was a good move. Lloyd [James] has poked the ball down the line to Moons [David]. He's stuck it inside to Mo [Odubajo] and he's picked Coxy out really well and it's a wonderful strike. It was a really good goal."

The second goal was a notable one too as captain Nathan Clarke headed in his first goal in an Orient shirt.

Slade joked: "I've just watched it to make sure it was his. It looks as if the goalkeeper has got two hands on it but maybe in his defence he's not seen it until it's too late. He's not done enough to palm it onto the right side of the post from their point of view so I'm delighted Clarkey's gone and got a goal for us.

"He threatens so much because he's so strong in the air. Nobody will begrudge him in that changing room of a goal."