Substitute Corey Whitely came back to haunt Leyton Orient once again, as the Ebbsfleet striker scored an equaliser right at the death to secure Daryl McMahon’s men a 1-1 draw at the Breyer Group Stadium.

Whitely, who scored at Brisbane Road back in March for Ebbsfleet, sent a deflected effort into the bottom corner to cancel out James Brophy’s opener in the fifteenth minute to hand the Fleet a point which their performance had perhaps merited.

As expected, Justin Edinburgh made minimal changes to the starting line-up which faced Salford City on Saturday, with Brophy coming in for Josh Koroma who dropped to the bench.

For Ebbsfleet, former Orient loanee Ebou Adams started in midfield as boss Daryl McMahon made three changes to the side which lost to Chesterfield on the opening day, with Jack Powell, Darren McQueen and Sean Shields coming in for Jack Payne, Lawrie Wilson and Whitely. New signing Michael Cheek, who recently joined the Fleet from Dagenham and Redbridge, was named among the substitutes.

It was the away side who flew out of the blocks and they almost took the lead within the first minute, as a long ball released McQueen in behind Orient’s backline, but the Ebbsfleet striker could only blaze his effort over the bar.

Orient’s nightmare start would continue as George Elokobi’s evening was brought to an end in the second minute, with the defender appearing to tweak something as he slid into try and block McQueen’s shot. Marvin Ekpiteta replaced the influential centre-back, who was visibly upset as he left the pitch.

The O’s were struggling to get out of their own half in the opening moments of the game and Ekpiteta had to be alert to divert Adams’ cross behind for a corner.

But against the run of play, Orient would take the lead just after the fifteen minute mark with their first foray forward, as Brophy opened his account for the season on his first start.

Macauley Bonne did all the hard work, picking up the ball on the left before driving forward and squaring for Brophy on the edge of the area, who calmly stroked a rising effort past Nathan Ashmore to put Orient in front.

But the O’s had goalkeeper Dean Brill to thank moments later as the experienced shot-stopper did well to get down low to tip former Brentford winger Myles Weston’s low effort around the post, after the Ebbsfleet man picked up the ball in space.

Another chance came for the visitors soon after, as captain Danny Kedwell picked up the ball from Sean Shields out wide, before cutting in and firing a powerful effort which flew past Brill’s right hand post.

Brill then had to be alert to divert Shields’ deflected cross out for a corner and seconds later, Ebbsfleet’s Ashmore showed good reflexes to tip over Bonne’s looping header from a McAnuff cross.

Alex Lawless then entered the referee’s book five minutes before the break for a clumsy challenge on the edge of the area on Drury but thankfully for the O’s, Powell sent his free-kick comfortably wide.

Despite being behind, Ebbsfleet were still making most of the early running and there was another big let off for the O’s when a lofted ball over Orient’s backline found Shields, whose effort ricocheted off Ekpiteta and back on to the wide-man before dropping just wide of the post.

The second half started just like the first 45, with the visitors once again creating an opportunity within seconds of the re-start, but Kedwell’s effort flew comfortably wide of the target from 25 yards.

There was a notable difference in Orient’s pressing shortly after the break and they were starting to see more of the ball, with Alabi sending an ambitious overhead kick wide, after the defence failed to deal with a long throw from Sam Ling.

A lightning quick counter attack from Brophy was abruptly brought to an end by Chris Bush, as the Orient attacker weaved his way past a number of defenders before being brought down on the edge of the area by the Ebbsfleet man just as he was about to play in Bonne. McAnuff stepped up and his effort was on target, but it was a comfortable save for Ashmore in the end.

Brill made another good stop just after the hour mark, as Ling failed to deal with a cross into the box and the ball fell kindly to Ebbsfleet substitute Luke Coulson, whose snapshot was well held by the experienced shot stopper.

Goal-scorer Brophy’s evening was brought to an end with 25 minutes remaining, with the winger being replaced by Josh Koroma, while Ebbsfleet manager Daryl McMahon made his second change at the same time, bringing on Cheek for McQueen.

The O’s head coach made his final change with 15 minutes to play, with vice-captain Charlie Lee replacing Lawless. Ebbsfleet made their final substitution moments after with Whitely replacing former Orient loanee Adams.

After a largely scrappy second half, Orient almost wrapped the game up with just under ten minutes remaining, as Ekpiteta won the ball back, before Craig Clay threaded a pass through to McAnuff, whose deflected cross was met by Koroma on the volley at the far post, but Ashmore pulled off a great save to deny the in-form youngster.

But Ebbsfleet wasted a glorious chance to equalise with just three minutes to play, as substitute Cheek turned over a low cross from close range with the goal gaping.

Orient almost made the visitors pay for their profligacy, as Alabi managed to breach the Kent side’s backline but he could only fire straight at Ashmore after racing through.

Another chance came and went for the O’s seconds later, as Alabi led a quick counter attack after a Fleet corner was cleared, before playing in Koroma, whose driven effort flashed across goal and rolled wide.

The O’s were made to pay for those missed opportunitites as Ebbsfleet equalised right at the death, as the ball made its way to Whitely on the edge of the penalty area and the attacker took a touch before arrowing a deflected effort, which Brill got fingertips to, into the bottom corner.

Bonne almost nicked all three points for Orient at the death, but his header was held by Ashmore, and the referee blew his whistle immediately after to bring the game to an end.

Orient: Brill (GK), Ling, Elokobi (Ekpiteta, 2), Coulson, Widdowson, McAnuff ©, Lawless (Lee, 75), Clay, Brophy (Koroma, 65) Bonne, Alabi.

Subs (Not used): Sargeant (GK), Dayton.

Booked: Lawless (39), Bonne (85), McAnuff (90).

Ebbsfleet: Ashmore (GK), King, Magri, Bush, Weston (Coulson, 58), Powell, Adams (Whitely, 77), Drury, Shields, Kedwell ©, McQueen (Cheek)

Subs (Not used): Myles (GK), Payne. 

Booked: King (12), Weston (36)

Attendance: 4,710 (374 Ebbsfleet fans)

Referee: Adrian Quelch.