DESPITE FLASHES OF PROMISE

After Rhys Walters had a shot well saved at one end, the visitors showed just how slippery they were up front as they broke again, and when O'Neill was fed inside the penalty area, Marosi came out well to save.

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A terrible mistake from Marosi saw him pass the ball straight to O’Neill from his six-yard area, and when the Orient man laid in Koroma, Ben Heneghan bailed out his keeper with an important interception.

The visitors’ front four were beginning to really impose themselves on the game and the Vale defenders were finding it increasingly difficult to contain them.

Up until the half-hour mark, Orient had 67 per cent of possession, which showed how Vale had dropped off from a promising start.

A wonderful cross from Connolly was well defended by Heneghan, and Orient looked so comfortable on the ball and dangerous too.

Seven minutes before halftime the hosts were handed a corner and a well-worked move was cleared to Walters, and his effort from 20 yards was beaten away by Cahill straight to Byers, who lacked composure and side-footed meekly into the side-netting when he should have driven back across goal.

Vale were fortunate again when O'Neill burst through and challenged Marosi for a bouncing ball, only to handle before prodding over the line, the ‘goal’ disallowed.

It mattered little as the visitors made it 2-1 a minute before the break.