Mansfield Town made to pay for missed chances as they lose at Leyton Orient
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A smartly-taken second-half strike from Orient’s Charlie Kelman condemned Stags to a second defeat of the League Two season, but O’s ‘keeper Lawrence Vigouroux was man of the match with some fine goalkeeping to frustrate the visitors, who deserved to come out of the game with something but failed to put their chances away.
The O’s sealed their third straight league success out of three without conceding on a day when the Stags were left to rue a very early penalty miss that could have set up a very different afternoon.
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Hide AdThere was drama inside the first minute at Brisbane Road as the Stags fluffed a terrific penalty chance.
Vigouroux tripped Rhys Oates as he danced into the box just 14 seconds after the kick-off, only for the home stopper to redeem himself as he superbly saved Stephen McLaughlin’s spot-kick, diving low to his right.
The hosts appeared buoyed by their goalkeeper’s early heroics, and soon after Kelman went close.
At the other end, Oates was looking particularly lively, and he forced a fine save out of that man Vigouroux.
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Hide AdJust before the half-hour mark there was a scare for the Stags when Daniel Happe headed straight at keeper Christy Pym with a header from point-blank range.
The Stags went on to enjoy the better of the final stages of the opening half.
Riley Harbottle fired an effort just off target, while Oates was again thwarted by the impressive Vigouroux – the lively Stags striker could have ended the half with a hat-trick.
Minutes after the restart the Stags went mighty close again when Anthony Hartigan headed a whisker wide from Kellan Gordon’s cross.
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Hide AdTwo impressive teams were going toe-to-toe in the searing heat of the capital, but neither could force that all-important breakthrough.
The temperature looked to be taking its toll as the game moved towards its final quarter.
It took an hour before the O's forced a serious save out of Pym.
But on 63 minuts the O’s found the opening as Kelman was perfectly placed to convert Idris El Mizouni’s low cross after a swift break down the centre.
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Hide AdThat was a big blow for the Stags, and it was now time to respond with time running out.
Sub Ollie Clarke forced a decent stop from Vigouroux, but the O’s defence continued to stand firm as George Lapslie also went close.
Six added minutes turned into eight as the home side continues to waste as much time as possible and were able to hang on to what they had in the end.
ORIENT: Vigouroux, James (Thompson 83), Happe, Beckles, Hunt, Pratley, Moncur (Sotiriouat 76), El Mizouni, Archibald, Kelman (Smith 83), Smyth (Brown 73). SUBS NOT USED: Sargeant, Ogie, Sweeney.
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Hide AdSTAGS: Pym, O'Toole, Hewitt, Harbottle, Gordon (Perch 86), Boateng (Lapslie 45), Hartigan (Maris 64), Quinn (Clarke 64), McLaughlin, Swan (Gale 86), Oates. SUBS NOT USED: Flinders, Wallace.
REFEREE: Leigh Doughty.
ATTENDANCE: 6,328.