Leyton Orient 1 - 2 Southend United
Coca-Cola League One
ORIENT threw away another home lead as they ended 2009 with a 2-1 defeat to Southend United on Monday.
Adam Chambers' 57th minute volley briefly gave O's fans hope of a positive conclusion to the year, but Southend soon turned the game around.
Former O's trainee Adam Barrett levelled within two minutes and another Orient old boy, Alan McCormack, notched the winner 16 minutes from time.
Shrimpers keeper Ian Joyce had to thrust a hand into the air to save Tamika Mkandawire's header from a JJ Melligan free kick in the fourth minute.
At the other end Adam Barrett headed Simon Francis' corner over at the far post.
Defences were on top in the early stages, although Jimmy Smith did force a save from Joyce with his low, curling effort from 25 yards midway through the half..
But it was a forgettable first half with little goalmouth action, and Adrian Patulea made way at the break for Loick Pires.
Four minutes after the restart, an O's corner was retrieved by Ben Chorley on the right wing, and his cross was met with a Luke Ashworth header, which flew over the top.
With 57 minutes on the clock, a Chambers bolt from the blue gave the O's the lead, the home midfielder volleying home from 20 yards after the ball looped up nicely to him.
But their advantage was only to last two minutes, as Barrett rammed home from close range after a cross from the right cannoned off Andrew Cave-Brown and fell perfectly for the defender to finish.
Jamie Jones then had to make a save from Lee Barnard after he took down a long ball from Scott Malone and held off Mkandawire's challenge.
And 16 minutes from time the visitors completed the turnaround when McCormack tucked home from close range after Francis' cross came over from the right and bounced off Barnard towards the Shrimpers midfielder.
In the final minute Joyce clung onto Ashworth's header from a Jason Demetriou corner, but that was the closest Orient came as they slumped to the defeat that meant they were to end 2009 in the League One drop zone.
Leyton Orient: Jones; Cave-Brown, Chorley, Ashworth, Mkandawire; Melligan (Demetriou 76), Chambers, Smith, Townsend; McGleish, Patulea (Pires 46)
Subs: Morris (GK), Baker, Mike, Beautyman
Goal: Chambers 57
Booked: Chorley, Pires
Southend: Joyce; Francis, Morrison, Barrett, Malone; Laurent (Walker 71), Moussa, Grant (Christophe 71), McCormack, Scannell; Barnard
Subs: Sankofa, Freedman, Herd, O'Keefe, Bentley (GK)
Goals: Barrett 59, McCormack 74
Booked: Scannell
Attendance: 5,680 (1,432 away)
Referee: Gavin Ward
