Kevin Lisbie announced his return from injury with a bang as his double gave Leyton Orient a much-needed 2-1 win over Shrewsbury Town.
It was Lisbie's first start in eight matches and the striker left it late to head in the winner three minutes from time.
O's boss Russell Slade made two changes to the side that lost 1-0 to MK Dons as Lisbie returned in attack and Jimmy Smith came back into midfield with Scott Wagstaff and Anthony Griffith making way.
After finding the net just once in seven matches, Orient were nearly ahead within a minute. Moses Odubajo laid the ball back to Martin Rowlands whose cross found Smith free in the box but his subtle touch hit the outside of the post.
The hosts' bright start continued and they came close again not long after when David Mooney's brilliant reverse back heel put Lisbie in the clear.
But the former Charlton Athletic forward, perhaps rusty from his spell on the sidelines, took a heavy touch and when his shot spilled up off the keeper, Smith's instinctive volley was deflected over by Julian Bennett.
If the opening quarter belonged to Orient however, the next 15 minutes was all Shrewsbury.
Luke Rodgers was at the heart of everything good about the visitors' play going forward and the experienced frontman should have scored when he found space in the box but dragged his finish wide.
Rodgers was again involved minutes later, as Jon Taylor eluded the reckless challenge of Gary Sawyer, played a neat one-two with Rodgers, before seeing his shot denied by Ryan Allsop.
Orient had lost their early initiative and were even more fortunate to stay on level terms when a Shrewsbury corner was headed down to Marvin Morgan who hopelessly lifted his shot over from close range.
With both teams squandering early opportunities from open play, it took a strike from the penalty spot to break the deadlock.
Just after the half hour mark Mooney's through ball inside caught Jeremy Helan napping and when his mistimed slide brought Odubajo down in the area the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Lisbie sent Chris Weale the wrong way to put Orient in front as a jubilant Slade hurled his cap into the air in delight.
Bouyed by their advantage, Orient dominated the rest of the half and could have doubled their lead had Chorley applied a more composed finish to a majestic bit of ball juggling in the box, or Lisbie had been half a yard quicker to Mooney's low cross to the near post.
Slade's team though maintained their ascendancy after the break, dictating the tempo in midfield and creating chances in the final third.
Lee Cook enjoyed a masterful spell in which he fizzed several crosses into the Shrewsbury area but too few Orient players made the runs to make them count.
When Cook went down on the edge of the area after another driving run on the hour mark he was perhaps a little unfortunate to receive a yellow card for diving.
In an impressive spell, Orient's only fault lay in not putting the match to bed and in the 69th minute so it proved.
On the counter attack Rodgers passed to Morgan who in turn slipped in Taylor and from a tight angle the Shrews man drilled the ball left footed into the far corner.
Unmoved by the goal against the run of play, Orient continued to dominate proceedings.
In the 76th minute substitute Ryan Brunt saw his shot denied by Weale before before two minutes later Lisbie was also frustrated by the Shrewsbury keeper.
But three minutes from time, Orient grabbed the winner they deserved when Lisbie rose highest to head in Dean Cox's corner and put the O's 2-1 up at the death.
It was the perfect end to a spirited and at times fluent Orient display which sees them end a miserable run of four consecutive defeats.
The O's will be looking for a repeat of the result - and the performance - when they travel to Gloucester City on Wednesday for their rearranged FA Cup tie.
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