Leyton Orient 2 Harrogate Town 2: Sulphurites recover from two goals down once again

The Sulphurites followed up Good Friday’s dramatic late recovery at home to AFC Wimbledon with another 2-2 draw, this time on the road at top-of-the-table Leyton Orient.

In big trouble at the interval after Ruel Sotiriou netted a first-half brace for the league leaders, Simon Weaver’s men once again showed fighting spirit and real strength of character as Anthony O’Connor and George Thomson struck in quick succession to level things up.

And although Town drop one place to 21st in the table as a result of Colchester’s win over Crewe, Easter Monday’s draw ensures they remain two points clear of the drop zone with a game in hand on all of the sides below them.

Boss Weaver shuffled his pack down in East London, bringing Toby Sims and Alex Pattison into his starting line-up in a bid to freshen things up following what was for the most last a lacklustre performance against the Dons.

But he did not get the desired response, with Harrogate thoroughly second best during an opening 45 which Orient bossed.

And it took the hosts just 10 minutes to break the deadlock, Sotiriou getting the wrong side of O’Connor in midfield, driving into the away box and eventually unleashing a strike which deflected off the recovering Town centre-half and wrong-footed Mark Oxley.

The home team continued to turn the screw, Paul Smyth cutting inside off the right wing and drawing a flying save out of Oxley with a left-footed effort.

And the dangerous Smyth was involved again as Orient doubled their advantage on 36 minutes, his low cross from the right finding Sotiriou at the near post, where he applied a routine first-time finish.

The second period began with Orient on the front foot and Oxley had to make another important stop to keep out a long-range attempt, this time beating away Idris El Mizouni’s curler.

But Town hit back eight minutes after the resumption, O’Connor left unmarked at the far post to stab home Thomson’s inviting right-wing free-kick from just a couple of yards out.

And things got even better for the Sulphurites in the 57th minute. The hosts failed to clear their lines after substitute Warren Burrell hung up a cross from the left, the ball eventually dropping for Thomson who dispatched a sweetly-struck finish into the bottom corner.

It was Orient who looked the more likely to go on and grab a decisive goal during the final half-an-hour, Oxley thwarting Smyth and Sotiriou before Charlie Kelman shot narrowly wide of the mark.

But although Richie Wellens’ high-flyers cranked up the pressure in the closing stages, Harrogate managed the game well to ensure that they returned to North Yorkshire with something to show for their efforts.