Leyton Orient suffered defeat in their second pre-season friendly of the warm-up campaign as hosts Ebbsfleet United picked up a 1-0 win.

Kevin Lisbie twice went close for the visitors in the opening period but the former Charlton Athletic man was unable to beat Preston Edwards in the home goal.

Dean Cox was proving a lovely presence for Orient and he too went close but was unable to drive his fierce effort on target.

Chances were at a premium after the break but the home side eventually opened the scoring with Nathan Elder doing the damage just past the hour-mark.

Russell Slade welcomed Scott Cuthbert back into the side after the defender missed the run in for last season injured.

Brisbane Road’s Player of the Year returned to the O’s defence and was joined by debutant Nathan Clarke who penned a two-year deal with Orient earlier in the week.

Cuthbert and Clarke were the only changes from Wednesday night’s victory at Sutton United, with Leon McSweeney and Moses Odubajo dropping to the bench.

Lisbie and Stoke City youngster Ryan Brunt again led the charge going forward with Michael Symes not yet fit to make his first appearance in an O’s shirt.

Ben Chorley had been a doubt for today’s match but was judged fit to make the bench however, having missed out in midweek.

There was little action to speak of inside the opening ten minutes but it was Orient making the early running.

Lisbie tried his luck first with a strike from distance ahead of Gary Sawyer playing a fine ball through the middle but Jimmy Smith was unable to direct an effort on target.

Ebbsfleet slowly started to come into the game but didn’t fashion their first chance until Moses Ashikodi stole the ball ahead of his marker, although Jamie Jones made himself big to deny the striker.

The O’s were looking comfortable in possession but chances were still few and far between for both sides.

Clarke went close with a header from a Sawyer corner but it was Lisbie who enjoyed the best opening of the match minutes later.

Anthony Griffith threaded the ball through the middle of the defence to find his team-mate but, under pressure from his marker, last season’s top scorer could only get a toe on the ball as his effort fell narrowly wide.

Lisbie was involved again minutes later as his show of strength and determination saw him break into the box on the left side before laying the ball back into the path of Cox but the winger fired high and wide of the target with his first time effort.

Playing at the top of the diamond, much of Orient’s creativity going forward was coming through Cox and the same was true ten minutes before the break.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion man picked out Lisbie on the left wing to cut inside and lay off for Smith but his low strike was well blocked on the line by Patrick Ada.

The O’s weren’t having it all their own way however, as Sawyer had to think fast to deny the hosts from opening the scoring minutes before the break.

Nathan Elder rose highest to meet a corner from the right and his header looked destined for Jones’ net until Sawyer saw it over the bar, ensuring the sides were level at the interval.

Slade made seven substitutions at half time with only Cox, Griffith, Smith and Baudry continuing further, with the latter dropping back into a more familiar defensive role.

There had been little to talk of in the second period but the remaining quartet were brought off on the hour.

In the minutes before his substitution, Cox had escaped with a talking to from the official after appearing to throw the ball at Ashikodi when the two had had a coming together.

There had been little in the way of chances in the second half but the deadlock was finally broken after 66 minutes by the home side.

A long ball out of defence was misjudged by O’s substitute Sean Grace, who let the ball bounce over his head and kindly into the path of Elder, allowing the striker a simple finish beyond Ryan Allsop.

Orient were still in the game though despite having a completely different line-up to how they started and came close to levelling the contest minutes later.

A giant kick out of his box from Allsop saw Afolabi Obafemi get the better of his marker but he snatched at the chance, firing the ball high of the target.

Trialist Joe Turner forced a corner inside the final ten minutes and Grace came close to levelling proceedings when he won the ball with his head, but Edwards was to the effort.

Ebbsfleet were still chasing a second and came close when substitute Tom Phipp fired a loose ball goalward only for Moses Odubajo to get a foot in the way and block the effort.

But there were to be no further goals though as the home side held on to claim a 1-0 victory.

Ebbsfleet: Edwards; Stone, Barrett (Wilson 75), Ada, Howe, Hudson (Blake 57), Walsh (Lorraine 46), Bellamy (Phipp 39), Greehalgh (Azeez 57), Elder (Williams 71), Ashikodi (Akinde 80).

Subs: McNeill, Folks.

Orient: Jones (Allsop 46); James (Odubajo 46), Cuthbert (Chorley 46), Clarke (Rowlands 46), Sawyer (McSweeney 46); Baudry (Grace 60), Smith (Laird 60), Griffith (Saunders 60), Cox (Turner 60); Brunt (Lobjoit 46), Lisbie (Obafemi 46).

Subs: Lee.