OLLIE Palmer scored against his old club as Orient signed off their home campaign with a 1-0 win against Mansfield Town.

His header four minutes into the second half lifted the mood at the Matchroom Stadium after a season which promised so much but fell short of expectations.

Interim boss Andy Hessenthaler used his programme notes to apologise to fans for the club’s failure to make the play-offs.

He wrote: “As a management staff and group of players the goal from the very outset was promotion and we have fallen short of that target. We have to take responsibility for that and there is no doubt we should have fared better with the squad that was assembled.

“Although we have had untimely long-term injuries to the likes of Dean Cox and Paul McCallum, we were still more than capable of achieving promotion, and by not doing so we have let you all down and your support over the course of the season has been fantastic and you deserve a lot more in what has been a difficult last two years.”

It was a heartfelt message and on the pitch the O’s were trying to sign off on a bright note in their final home game of the campaign. They gave fans a glimpse of the future with first starts for young centre back Aron Pollock, who looked assured, and the lively Sandro Semedo as skipper Mathieu Baudry was ruled out through injury and Nicky Hunt was ill.

Semedo began brightly as did Blair Turgott who might have given the O’s an early lead when he charged down Ryan Tafazolli’s attempted clearance but his low shot was beaten out by keeper Scott Shearer.

The hosts should have had the lead on ten minutes. Ollie Palmer, against his old club, rounded Shearer but found the angle too tight to tuck the ball into an empty net. He cut back to try and improve the angle but then found his shot blocked to the delight of the jeering Mansfield followers.

Shearer was busy moments later tipping a speculative Sean Clohesy effort from near the touchline over his crossbar.

But the Londoners had a major let-off at the other end when Emmanuel Dieseruvwe took advantage of a moment’s indecision between keeper Alex Cisak and defender Peter Ramage to steal in and claim a free header at an open goal but he could not find the target.

With Lloyd James controlling the midfield and Turgott in the mood to go through his repertoire of tricks the O’s carried the greater threat but Mansfield had more than enough about them to remind Orient that it was a two-way contest.

Dieseruvwe cut through their defence with some brilliant footwork to set up Reggie Lambe who was only denied by a last ditch block.

Then, the O’s needed a combination of keeper Cisak and his post to keep out Adam Chapman’s wicked low free kick. The Stags’ man could not have hit it much better and his shot looked destined to nestle into the near corner until Cisak dived across to push it onto the post before clutching the rebound as the ball squirted back across the line.

The first half had been a mirror of Orient’s season, good in parts, but the team were desperate to finish their home campaign with a win and they started the second half in a hurry.

Palmer expertly pulled the ball down inside the box before smacking in a shot that hit the base of the post.

The O’s had introduced Sammy Moore for Nigel Atangana at half time and their renewed sense of purpose was soon rewarded. Clohesy was blocked five yards outside the box and when James floated in the free kick there was Palmer, rising highest to head home against his former club.

He sprinted off and ran half the length of the field in the direction of the Mansfield fans who had spent the first half goading him, but then stopped and celebrated with his team-mates.

Mansfield weren’t a spent force though and they responded positively. They hit the woodwork for the second time in the afternoon when Lambe turned smartly in the box to thud a shot against the crossbar.

Palmer, who was a thorn in Mansfield’s side all afternoon, was keen to make sure it was his day though and he wriggled his way past two would-be-tacklers before fizzing in a fierce shot that flew just wide.

Palmer’s physicality was a real problem for his former employers and from a free kick he won, James was just a whisker away from doubling Orient’s advantage.

With just a one-goal lead though it was never comfortable but Orient saw the game out to send their supporters home with a smile.