Leyton Orient fell to a 14th home defeat of the season after they lost 1-0 to Cheltenham Town with both battling relegation.

Carl Winchester scored the only goal of the game to take the three point’s home and move six points clear of the drop zone.

Orient missed a penalty that would have levelled the score but Callum Kennedy’s spot kick was saved by former Aberdeen keeper Scott Brown.

It looks it could be a big old mountain the E10 club has to climb as they look to avoid dropping into non-league with an away visit to Newport County next week.

The O’s gained the first chance of the game when Josh Koroma worked his way into the box as he got the better of two Cheltenham defenders but the winger was tackled as he lined up a shot.

The Robins’ Harry Pell went down the other end and went for goal only to drag his shot wide from distance.

Tin Plavotic almost opened the scoring in the 11th minute but his shot went well wide of the post from inside the penalty area before Kyle Wootton lashed a shot over the bar from 20-yards out.

With just 15 minutes gone, Koroma’s cross found its way out to Gavin Massey who was denied twice before Brown claimed the loose ball.

Only 30 seconds later, Nigel Atangana slid a shot into the side-netting from a tight angle following a Paul McCallum knockdown.

Orient kept gaining chance after chance and Kennedy’s cross was volleyed goalwards by Atangana but Brown got down well before blocking the rebound.

And against the complete run of play Winchester slotted home the opener into the bottom corner of the net.

Orient went straight up the other end where Koroma managed to pick out Atangana but the midfielder took a touch before curling the shot over the bar.

The Robins could have made it two with the goalscorer only managing to curl a shot wide of the far post but the flagged was raised for offside.

Just before the half an hour mark Sandro Semedo’s cross towards the back post was headed down by Koroma the ball then dropped to the winger who saw his shot held well by Brown three minutes before McCallum’s shot looped over the bar.

The home side went close to equalising once again when Michael Collins got away down the right-hand side and pulled it back for Koroma who could not keep it down and it went narrowly over the bar.

The visitors gained the first chance of the final 45 with Wootton down the right-hand side but he could only flash the ball across goal and wide of the post.

Cheltenham came close once again through Winchester but Sam Sargeant was equal to the ball and pushed it over the bar.

Kennedy was unable to convert from the penalty spot after Massey was brought down in the area. The defender went low to his right but Brown tipped the ball wide.

On the 63rd minute, Liam Davis was able to cut in from the left but he could only drill a shot low at Sargeant.

Michael Clark displayed some solid defending to clear a Davis cross from the left and Kyle Storer volleyed the loose ball over.

Four minutes later, Orient tried to up the pressure but Teddy Mezague’s header went wide from a Semedo corner.

With 13 minutes remaining, Cheltenham were still ahead by one goal and Barthram’s powerful shot from just outside the area flew over the bar.

Sargeant made an excellent save with the 19-year-old got down low to his left to hold Davis’ shot to keep the Robins at bay.

Time started to run out and Semedo tried his luck from distance but Brown scrambled across to push it behind for a corner which came to nothing.

Cheltenham held on for the 1-0 win and the vital three points.

Orient starting XI: Sargent, Judd, Mezague, Parkes (Clark 45), Kennedy, Collins, Atangana, Semedo, Koroma (Dalby 65), Massey, McCallum (Liburd 75) Subs not used: Grainger, Pollock, Moore, Alzate Cheltenham starting XI: Brown, Barthram, Pell. Waters, Boyle, Rowe (Storer 60), Wootton, Onariase, Winchester, Plavotic, Davids Subs not used: Kitscha, Wright, Munns, Dayton, O’Shaughnessy, Holman