Two goals in a minute seal back-to-back defeats for Leyton Orient at Notts County

The O’s began brightly in Nottingham but a lack of quality in the final third, and some disastrous defending, put paid to their hope of getting back to winning ways after last weekend, despite playing for the final 20 minutes with a man advantage after Louis Laing's red card.

By then, goals from Jonathan Forte and Jon Stead had given the hosts a 2-0 advantage, and only three minutes from the end did Paul McCallum’s header finally reduce the deficit.

County were still not finished as they searched for a first home win in five months, and substitute Aaron Collins sealed the win with a run from his own half to add an injury-time third.

Andy Hessenthaler named one change from last Saturday’s below-par home defeat by Yeovil, with a welcome return for Jay Simpson at the heart of the attack.

And it was Simpson who would fashion the first chance of the game, attempting an audacious half-volley with his back to goal from McCallum’s headed lay-off, but it drifted a yard or so wide of Adam Collin’s goal.

Orient began the game on the front foot and attacked with intent, but County were looking capable, if nervous, on the break, and had a few nearly moments of their own without troubling Alex Cisak.

After McCallum and Simpson had seen efforts sail wide, Stead showed his pedigree at the other end with some quick feet to almost put the hosts ahead.

Most of County’s early pressure had come down their right, and it was from there a cross fell at the feet of the veteran striker.

He turned inside onto his favoured right, but a flying block from the fit-again Nicky Hunt thwarted his goal-bound strike.

He would have a second bite of the cherry from the rebound, and the ball needed turning round the post by Cisak to keep the scores level.

Half chances again followed at either end, Michael O’Connor and Liam Kelly both sending first-time efforts wide, but not until O’Connor was left unmarked on the edge of the box and shot over did the game see another clear sight of goal.

County have not won a game at Meadow Lane since April 12 and despite their improvement as the half wore on, it showed.

They ended the first period on top, in terms of territory, but lacked ingenuity in the final third, while Tom Parkes swept up anything launched into the O’s box.

Simpson’s final act of the half epitomised the opening 45 minutes; he did well to control a long ball forward when under pressure, before producing an opening lacking the quality or power to ever trouble Collin.

Any hope of a scintillating second half was immediately proved fanciful as the sides re-engaged in their midfield tussle from the off.

County would take only eight minutes to break the deadlock, however, and from a familiar source, as they again attacked down the Orient left.

An inch-perfect cross from Matt Tootle was met by the head of Forte and despite the best efforts of Cisak, who did remarkably well to even get a hand to the ball, the linesman flagged that it had crossed the line.

Within a minute, they had doubled their advantage. Again they exploited some poor defending on the O’s left, as Jon Stead cut inside unmarked, and from the edge of the box unleashed a powerful low drive beyond the sprawling Cisak.

The brief upturn in quality would not last, as again both sides struggled to create meaningful chances, but soon Meadow Lane was, for the third time in the half, up on its feet.

Substitute Collins, on for goalscorer Stead, worked his way into the box before the chasing Yvan Erichot slipped, bringing him down as he fell.

There was little doubt even on the Frenchman’s face that it was a penalty - but referee Brendan Malone was somehow unmoved.

Within 60 seconds he had again attracted the ire of the hosts, as he - quite rightly, this time - dismissed home defender Laing for a second bookable offence.

It was a lifeline for Orient’s hopes of snatching something, but one they were unable to even think about taking until it was too late.

Jay Simpson sent a free-kick over the bar, and Liam Kelly saw his long-range drive turned round the post, but they were still both lacking clear chances while also looking fragile at the back, which  Collins demonstrated by squirming his way through the defence before sending a shot over.

With three minutes to go, they did finally find a breakthrough. A ball forward to the back post was picked up by substitute Bowery, who delivered and excellent cross McCallum had no problem with heading home.

With a man advantage and the wind between their sails, you might have seen an equaliser coming.

But instead, some horror-show defending finished their late charge as soon as it had started when Collins, a real tricky customer since his introduction, picked up the ball on the County right just inside his own half.

Ulrich Nnomo tracked him as he headed goalwards but could not outmuscle the striker, while Erichot completely missed a half-hearted challenge, giving him a clear route on goal which he did not pass up, to end a wretched second half for Hessenthaler’s men.