Leyton Orient 0, Aldershot Town 0

AGAINST all odds, Aldershot Town snatched an impressive point from league leaders Leyton Orient, and in doing so restored a huge amount of pride in their performance.

Orient dominated possession, and created by far the better chances throughout the 90 minutes, but found The Shots in obdurate mood to claim their first away clean sheet of the season.

“It feels like a victory because of what we’ve had to go through during the game. It’s like an episode of Casualty,” joked manager Gary Waddock after his team lost Adam May to illness and Matt McClure to a recurrence of a recent shoulder injury in the opening 30 minutes, to add to a long list of enforced absentees watching from the stand.

“You’ve got to applaud and congratulate every member of the squad tonight – the injured players all turned up. I said to them it’s about sticking together, and we needed that.

“The effort and work the players have put in was magnificent. Orient are a good side and we should be very pleased, because we limited them and nullified their threat. We did it at Bradford too, and now we need to build on this.”

Midfielder Luke Howell typified Aldershot Town’s display, superbly protecting his defence with energy and discipline to stifle Orient’s previously prolific attack. Behind him, auxiliary centre back Dom Bernard showed strength and composure in replacing the suspended Josh Lelan, and goalkeeper Will Mannion made several vital saves to preserve parity.

This, though, was a fantastic team effort, full of commitment and a desire to put their other two most recent league results, abject defeats against Salford City and Barrow, firmly in the past.

Jobi McAnuff’s 15th-minute free-kick hit the crossbar, but McClure’s last contribution before trudging off was a 30-yard drive which swerved inches over, and steadily the visitors grew into the game.

Dean Brill spilled Josh Barrett’s angled shot around the post before the break, and even though Orient exerted greater pressure in the second half there remained a steely resilience among the Shots defence.

Brill repelled Adam McDonnell’s whipped, well-disguised free-kick, and there was a lingering sense that had Aldershot Town mustered a dash of extra quality on the counter-attack they may even have stolen all three points.

Still, though, Mannion had to make a strong one-handed save to deny Dale Gorman, and both Gorman and substitute James Brophy had shots deflected into the side-netting. Mannion then blocked James Alabi’s drive with his legs as Orient tried to rouse themselves for a grandstand finish.

Adam McDonnell, arriving with a perfectly-timed run into the box to win a header which was scrambled clear in the goalmouth, nearly claimed victory for Aldershot Town in the final ten minutes and, despite Macaulay Bonne and Marvin Ekpiteta both heading wide in stoppage time, this was not a side clinging on at the death.

They undoubtedly need to instil a modicum of consistency in their play, but such spirited performances hint at a brighter future for The Shots.

Leyton Orient: Brill; Judd, Ekpiteta, Coulson, Widdowson; Dayton (Alabi 65), Gorman, Clay (Brophy 46), McAnuff; Koroma, Bonne. Subs (not used): Janata, Happe, Harrold.

Aldershot Town: Mannion; McCoy, Osho, Bernard, Kinsella; Howell; McDonnell, Gallagher, May (Fenelon 15), Grant (Berkeley-Agyepong 68); McClure (Barrett 30). Subs (not used): Cole, Wanadio.

Attendance: 4,289.