Leyton Orient Women continued their excellent start to the season with a 3-0 win over AFC Basildon on Sunday.

Sophie Le Marchand, Paige Anderson-James and Otesha Charles ensured the points, while a penalty save from Naomi Ogunde preserved a clean sheet for herself and the O’s side.

Basildon started brightly and came close to taking the lead after 15 minutes when Ogunde spilled a delivery into the box, but Kelly Wealthall’s first effort came off the post and her follow-up was blocked on the line.

Orient had two chances to take the lead in response, but Charles had her first effort well saved by Charlotte Bolland, and then Alex Bailess deflected a shot onto the post after she had rounded the keeper.

Within the first couple of minutes of the second half, Ogunde brought down a Basildon attacker in the box, but she redeemed herself by getting a strong hand to the driven penalty.

That seemed to galvanise the O’s, and they finally broke the deadlock on 72 minutes when Le Marchand kept her composure to finish after good build-up with Charles.

Eight minutes later, the points were made safe as substitute Anderson-James made an instant impact by finishing well from the edge of the box.

Orient went on to notch a third when Charles collected Ogunde’s long kick and dinked over the onrushing Bolland to secure the points.

The result means Orient are now level on points at the top of the table with Billericay and Ipswich, while their next game comes in the Women’s FA Cup away at Abingdon United this Sunday.