Stoppage-time equaliser stuns Mansfield Town at Leyton Orient

Andy Cook thought he’d masterminded Mansfield’s first win of the season.

But his first goal of the new campaign and a Jordan Bowery strike were not enough as Leyton Orient clinched a dramatic injury-time draw.

Graham Coughlan’s side looked certain to end a frustrating run of three matches without a win as goals from Cook and Bowery put them on course for three welcome points.

However it was heartbreak for the Stags two goals in 10 frantic minutes at the death at the Matchroom Stadium saw Coughlan’s misfiring lucky to escape with a point.

Bowery scored from the penalty spot seven minutes into the second half after Cook had been fouled by James Brophy.

And it got even better for the visitors who had not scored in 270 minutes of football and leaked seven goals in their three previous fixtures.

Cook scored in the 72nd minute to seemingly secure the points, but there was a bitter twist in the tale.

Danny Johnson pulled a goal back ten minutes later with a sweet left-foot strike and Ruel Sotiriou snatched a point in injury-time.

The hosts had come within a whisker of taking the lead in the first minute of the contest, but Czech shot-stopper Marek Stech thwarted Jordan Maguire-Drew with a smart save.

At the other end George Maris had a good early chance for the Stags, but the midfielder rifled well over the bar.

Craig Clay found space as the O’s broke on the counter-attack, but his ambitious long-range effort flew into the empty stand.

Sotiriou was played in by Clay, but the Cypriot forward saw his goalbound strike well-saved by an alert Stech.

Irish midfielder Harry Charsley hit the target as the Stags searched for the breakthrough, but keeper Lawrence Vigouroux was equal to the effort.

The home side remained lively and James Dayton let rip with a powerful shot, but it was blocked just outside the box and then Mali playmaker Ousseynou Cisse had a shot charged down as the pressure mounted for Coughlan’s team.

However, Malvind Benning blasted wide with a sweet left-foot strike as the deadlock was nearly broken.

But the Stags were fortunate to be level at the break when Johnson’s stinging drive struck the inside of the post and somehow flew to safety.

Bowery finished well from the spot and Cook finished clinically, but Johnson and Sotiriou’s goals were hard to swallow when a win should have been the order of the day.

Leyton Orient: Vigouroux, Ling, Coulson, Happe, Brophy, Clay (McAnuff 61), Cisse (Angol 77), Dayton, Sotiriou, Johnson, Maguire-Drew (Dennis 62).

Subs: Sargeant, Widdowson, Wilkinson, Thomas.

Mansfield: Stech, Sweeney, Rawson, Menayese, O’Keeffe, Maris, O Clarke, Benning, Charsley, Bowery, Cook (Maynard 90).

Subs: Perch, O’Driscoll, Reid, McLaughlin, Sinclair, Stone.

Referee: David Rock