Danny Rowe’s double proved the difference at Brisbane Road as Leyton Orient slipped to a 2-1 National League defeat against AFC Fylde.

The forward opened the scoring with 14 minutes played with a deflected free-kick before doubling the visitor’s advantage with a stunning long-range effort early in the second half.

Jobi McAnuff’s header gave Orient hope of a comeback, but they couldn’t force a leveller as their winless run reached a fifth game.

Fylde ended the game with 10-men as Lewis Montrose was shown a second yellow card in the 90th minute.

The O’s will look to bounce back at Tranmere Rovers on Wednesday, before a visit to Barrow in a week’s time.

Fylde have endured a difficult start to the campaign and were only a point and a place above the drop zone at kick-off.

The manner in which they started the game did little to suggest Fylde were the underdogs, though, and Orient were shaky early on.

Firstly they needlessly lost possession in midfield to allow Rowe a shot from distance which went just wide, before Charlie Grainger nervously passed the ball out of play.

The home side’s response was a good one and a cross from the left gave David Mooney a sniff at goal, but his near post header from close range was saved.

The chance started a period of O’s pressure before Fylde made the most of a set-piece to go ahead inside a quarter of an hour.

A foul on the edge of the box gave Rowe the chance to set his sights from inside the D and he opted for brawn over beauty to beat Grainger.

His drive was powerfully hit and took a wicked deflection of the Orient wall, which looked to split a little too readily, to leave a committed Grainger with no chance.

Much of Orient’s better moments were coming down the left where Macauley Bonne and Jobi McAnuff were combining to good effect.

It was the latter who manufactured the O’s next chance pulling a pass back to Craig Clay, who slipped his man with a clever faint on the edge of the box.

The midfielder’s strike was a good one but lacked the direction to worry jay Lynch who saved smartly with his feet.

It was as close as Orient would come in the first half, and they failed to really test the Nattional League’s third most porous defence in the opening 45 minutes.

Many inside Brisbane Road were angered by the ward of the free-kick for the Fylde opener, with supporters feeling Jonny Smith had gone down softly.

There was further frustration just before the half hour mark, when James Brophy raced clear only to be tripped by Andy Bond.

With Brophy in on goal, there were calls for a red card to be shown for the cynical foul, but referee Simon Barrow opted for yellow instead.

Bond could easily have seen red late in the half after dragging David Mooney down as the O’s captain looked to break clear.

He was fortunate not to be shown a second yellow as Barrow again gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Orient’s task was made all the harder three minutes after the half-time break when Rowe was allowed the freedom of E10 some 30 yards from goal.

He was in no mood to turn down Orient’s generosity and let fly with a fierce strike which found the very top corner of Grainger’s goal for a stunning second.

Steve Davis’ men should have been back in the game moments later when McAnuff’s dangerous free-kick found debutant Mark Ellis in space six yards out.

The defender really should have done better with the chance but headed over the bar when unmarked.

Orient’s need for a goal saw Davis turn to his bench with the introduction of Matt Harrold for Mooney as he looked to add physicality up front.

It was his striker partner Bonne who would get the next chance to revive his side’s ailing hopes just after the hour.

Some neat link up play between James Dayton and Jake Caprice sent the Orient right-back away and his cross was perfectly placed for Bonne to attack in the six yard box.

Similarly to Ellis, Bonne was off target with his header and sent the ball over the bar from point-blank range.

If Bonne was wasteful with his first chance, he was unfortunate with another header with 20 minutes to play.

A run across the face of goal saw the forward lose his man and glance a McAnuff free-kick goalwards only for the ball to strike the base of the post.

The disappointment wouldn’t last long, however, as McAnuff capped a decent display with a goal in the 71st minute.

Peeling away at the back post, the winger found himself in space as Dayton’s cross from the left flicked of a Fylde head and nodded in via a deflection.

The goal set up a grandstand finish as Orient looked to come from two goals behind for the second game in succession.

They were inches from doing so with nine minutes to play as a deep cross from the left found Harrold at the back post.

He got up superbly to force a header towards goal which had Lynch at full stretch.

The Fylde stopper made the save and did well to hold on as the ball looked to squirm free and go over the line.

It was as close as Orient came to a leveller as their run of poor form went on at Brisbane Road, despite Montrose being sent off late in the day.