Nathan Jones' side continued their unbeaten run with a win at Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient 1
Luton Town 2
Danny Hylton and Cameron McGeehan continued their fine form in front of goal as both netted one each to extend Nathan Jones’ side’s unbeaten run to six with a victory over Leyton Orient.
McGeehan grabbed the opener as he poked home from close range after half an hour, before Hylton curled home with 15 minutes left to play.
James Justin was set to start at right back, but pulled up in the warm up, with the 18-year-old being replaced by Stephen O’Donnell.
The Hatters should have been a goal down within 15 minutes, when a cross into their box wasn’t dealt with and Ollie Palmer stooped low to get his head to it from seven yards, but it went wide to the right of the goal.
Alex Gilliead’s swift turn of pace caused the hosts real problems. With 20 minutes gone, he picked the ball up in the middle of the pitch, cleverly turned three Orient players and bolted down the right.
His cross wasn’t quite as good on that occasion, as it landed on the top of the Leyton net.
Starting for the second time in the League, Gilliead played a pivotal role in earning the Town the lead. The Geordie pinched the ball from an Orient defender on the edge of the host’s box. He passed it into Marriott whose terrific turn took him around his marker and one-on-one with the keeper, he shot, it was saved by Leyton keeper Alex Cisak but he could only palm it into the path of McGeehan who notched his seventh goal of the season.
Orient weren’t too disheartened by going behind though, as immediately after the goal, they pressed deep in the Town’s territory, won the ball and had a number of crosses and shots blocked.
It was a similar story in the second half, as the hosts went close through Nigel Atangana 30 seconds after the restart.
Just after the hour mark, Gavin Massey went incredibly close for Orient, after he managed to wriggle past his marker in the Hatters box. He toe poked the ball towards goal from 15 yards, but it was deflected just wide for a corner.
Hylton clearly wasn’t content with being joint top scorer also on seven alongside McGeehan as ten minutes after Orient’s near miss, the striker notched his eighth of the season.
The ex-Oxford United striker flicked the ball onto Marriott who won the race to the ball in Orient’s half and his subsequent shot was saved, he picked it up on the right of the Leyton box and selflessly passed it to
Hylton to double the visitor’s lead.
The Hatters appeared home and hosed, but Orient pulled a goal back through Ollie Palmer whose shot bounced in off the post with five minutes of normal time to go.
That gave Orient a new lease of life as they pushed hard for the equaliser, but Town stood strong and saw out the result.
TOWN: Walton, O’Donnell, Cuthbert (c), Sheehan, Potts, Rea, Cook (Mullins 90), Gilliead (Gray 90+2), McGeehan (Smith 84), Hylton, Marriott. Subs: Banton, Vassell, King (GK)
Yellows: Hylton
ORIENT: Cisak, Hunt, Erichot, Parkes, Kennedy, Massey, Atangana (Dunne 75), Janse, Semedo, Simpson (McCallum 68), Palmer.
Subs: Sargeant, Nnomo, Bowery, Pollock, Benedicic.
Yellows: Semedo