Orient come from behind to draw with ten-man Scunthorpe

In a fairly tame opening to the game the first chance went the way of the visitors on seven minutes, but Martyn Woolford got his shot all wrong from 12 yards and fired wide.

The next goalbound effort took a further 15 minutes to arrive, but former O's loanee Izy Iriekpen's header from Grant McCann's cross lacked any power to seriously trouble Glenn Morris.

The O's first shot of the half finally arrived on 25 minutes, but Brian Saah's looping effort was easily saved by Joe Murphy.

And just 60 seconds later the visitors broke the deadlock. McCann's corner from the right went right across goal and when defender Alton Thelwell slipped in the area he could only head the ball into Iriekpen's path and he lashed home from ten yards out.

Scunthorpe's Woolford had the next opening on 35 minutes when he cut in from the left and let fly with a powerful low effort, but Morris was down to save at his near post. A flowing move then saw Orient almost get back on level terms a minute before the break. Simon Dawkins picked out the run of Jason Demetriou, who laid it off to Adam Boyd and he fed it wide right to Andrew Caven-Brown but his first time shot went the wrong side of the far post.

And in first half stoppage time the Iron were handed a free-kick in a good position after Demetriou dived in to bring down Matthew Sparrow. McCann took the resulting kick on the right and slack marking in the box allowed Paul Hayes a free header which he easily nodded past Morris.

Three minutes after the restart Iriekpen almost increased the lead but he headed McCann's cross from the left just wide.

Orient were handed a real lifeline on 56 minutes when Boyd freed JJ Melligan, who raced into the box and was upended by keeper Murphy. He was shown a straight red by ref Anthony Taylor. Following a short delay to allow his replacement Joshua Lillis to come on, Boyd finally took the resulting spot kick on 59 minutes and while his initial effort was brilliantly saved he made no mistake to slam home the rebound.

And just eight minutes later Orient were level when Dawkins found skipper Stephen Purches and he crashed home from 12-yards.

A slip by keeper Lillis saw his clearance fall to Dawkins on the edge of the area, but the replacement keeper recovered well to block the striker's shot.

Scunthorpe went straight on the attack and McCann let fly with a long range effort from the left that just flashed wide of the right-hand upright.

Former O's loanee Gary Hopper then hit a powerful shot from the right, but Morris was able to just block the effort before it was scrambled to safety.

And Hooper almost snatched a winner for the visitors in stoppage time when he turned Marcus Williams' cross from the left onto the base of the near post from close range.

Orient: Morris, Purches, Saah, Thelwell, Cave-Brown (Palmer 90); Melligan, Chambers, Terry, Demetriou; Dawkins (Jarvis 78), Boyd. Subs: Jones (GK), B.Gray, Ashworth.