Danny Johnson scored his first goal for Leyton Orient in a 2-2 draw at home to Oldham Athletic.

A Tom Hamer own goal put Orient in front before two goals in three minutes from Zak Dearnley had the Latics ahead, but Johnson scrambled home from virtually on the line in the second half to secure a point.

Jordan Maguire-Drew and Josh Wright were restored to the starting line-up by Ross Embleton in place of James Dayton and Lee Angol, while Ruel Sotiriou returned to the bench after a spell out injured.

Johnson had the first chance of the game after nine minutes, but he was unable to steer his effort home at the near post after a good run and cross from Craig Clay down the left.

Orient’s positive start continued and they took the lead on 13 minutes when Jordan Maguire-Drew’s corner found the head of Ouss Cisse, and his effort was deflected home by the thigh of Latics defender Hamer.

Two minutes later though, equally poor defending from Orient at the other end allowed Oldham to equalise. Carl Piergianni got on the end of a corner, and his wayward was turned home instinctively by Dearnley.

The Latics then completed the turn-around another three minutes later as static defending allowed Dearnley his second of the game, flicking home after Jonny Smith's corner had bounced up in front of him.

After a spell of three goals in five minutes, the rest of the half was unlikely to live up to those standards, and that was the way it panned out.

Conor Wilkinson had a shot just inside the area blocked by Mohamad Sylla in Orient’s only real chance in the rest of the half, while Oldham were narrowly off target on two occasions through Sylla and Danny Rowe.

Orient likely would have been aware that a win for Oldham would have seen their opponents climb above them in the League Two table, so a fast start to the second half was in order.

They got the desired goal 10 minutes into the period as more poor defending from Oldham from a free-kick saw the ball fall to Johnson, and he stabbed home his first goal for the club virtually on the line.

The visitors had the ball in the net nine minutes later through David Wheater, but his effort was ruled out after the referee had already blown the whistle for a foul.

A win for Orient could have lifted them well into mid-table depending on results elsewhere, and they were doing all the pushing in search of a late winner.

Cisse’s clipped ball over the top for Johnson was met instead by Gary Woods rushing out to head away, and substitute Ruel Sotiriou looked continuously dangerous down the right-hand side.

The final chance of the half instead fell to Oldham, but Danny Rowe saw his glancing header excellently kept out by Vigouroux, who managed to tip it away.

The draw sees both sides drop down a place in League Two courtesy of Scunthorpe United’s win over Forest Green Rovers, while Orient’s next game sees them visit Forest Green next weekend.

Orient line-up: Vigouroux, Coulson, Clay, Wilkinson, Maguire-Drew, Happe, Brophy, Marsh, Cisse, Johnson, Wright

Subs: Sargeant, Widdowson, Dayton, Angol, Sotiriou, Kyprianou, Sweeney