Leyton Orient left the Walkers Stadium with their tails between their legs on Saturday, after they were out-foxed by a confident and assured Leicester side.

The O's knew it would be hard to out-smart Nigel Pearson's men and so it proved, as Leicester showed why they are flying at the summit of League One.

Orient's prospects were not helped by the absence of the suspended Thornton and an ill Adam Chambers.

Purches deputised in the centre of the park, and spent long periods of the first half helping the back four.

The comfort of the Leicester players on the ball was a clue to why they are promotion favourites.

One move saw the hosts string together 17 consecutive passes.

In the air, Steve Howard was the focus.

Orient defensive pair Mkwandawire and Thelwell had their hands full throughout with him and 20 goal man Matt Fryatt to contend with.

But they equipped themselves well, and Fryatt was subbed off the pitch in the second half still on 20 goals.

Fryatt was involved in Leicester's first goal, which came after just eight minutes.

He latched onto a ball which Orient new boy Charlie Daniels missed.

Bearing down on Morris in the Orient goal, Fryatt passed across to the on-rushing Matt Oakley, who slotted it past Morris into the far corner.

Later, and Morris saved his team with a superb one-handed save from a Jack Hobb's free kick that was heading low into the far corner.

Orient were blunt in attack throughout. Sam Parkin chased shadows and Boyd was subdued by lack of service.

New signing Dean Morgan recorded the visitors solitary shot in the first half, an effort that sailed high over the wood-work from 20 yards.

It was a paltry return from a match spent hustling on the wings and looking like the man most likely to hurt the Foxes.

The Foxes second goal in the 35th minute had an air of inevitability about it and came from a fumble by Morris under pressure from a Howard header across the six yard box.

O's boss Ling said afterwards that his keeper should have stayed on his line.

Leicester's Mark Davies was on-hand to gently header the ball into the yawning net.

The goal brought to life the home crowd, who until then had been out-sung by the travelling Orient fans.

Orient pressed the hosts in the second half but lacked any cutting edge.

The host's controlled the game, and wrapped up a comfortable win five minutes from time from the penalty spot.

Mikandawire floored Davies as the pair chased the ball towards the touch line in the box.

The defender was booked and Foxes hero, Paul Dickov dispatched the penalty low into the goal beyond the hand of Morris, who guessed right.

Orient came closest in injury at the end of the game when Thelwell's header from a corner was cleared off the line.

Afterwards, Ling said that Orient's season will not be decided by games against promotion chasing teams.

He said: We're want to get a real thumping, and it wasn't quite that, but Leicester had enough in hand.”

Leicester boss, Nigel Pearson: "The last game between was tough. Today, we played pretty well."

Attendance 18240