A meandering affair at the Matchroom Stadium will need a spark after the break after a jaded display by Orient.
The hosts had plenty of the ball but not the guile to execute chances. Meanwhile, Carlisle absorbed the pressure and could be ahead for want of better finishing. All in all, a pedestrian 45 minutes.
The visitors had three clear chances to open the scoring, but Orient were saved by poor finishing by Criag Curran and then twice by Francois Zoko. Stopper Jamie Jones was the hosts' best man for keeping the scoreline static.
Orient started brightly but faded, in contrast to the Cumbrians, who grew into the contest and were on top by the half-time whistle.
Skipper Stephen Dawson scooped high over the bar from 10 yards, on 11 minutes. Harry Kane, starting in place of Jonathan Téhoué, was at the heart of the move.
Orient tested Carlisle's backline with high balls pumped from the back early on. The hosts soaked up the pressure. Keeper Adam Collin warmed his gloves collecting a couple of speculative shots. Kane drew a super diving save from Collin with a pinpoint header from Matt Spring's free kick, on 17 minutes. It was Orient's best chance, but Kane was offside anyway and looked sluggish on the ball in the opening stages.
McGleish also struggled to impress himself on proceedings.
Charlie Daniels' crosses from wide left provided their usual menace as the hosts probed Carlisle.
Jones got his first fright when Adam Barrett's header threatened to loop over his head.
Craig Curran changed that on 30 minutes with a shot from all of six yards. A diving Jones palmed it clear, but Curran should have buried it from Francois Zoko's pass. Orient's stopper was at it again on 39 minutes, stretching to deny Zoko from a header.
Near to half time, Zoko fluffed his lines from five yards out, as Jamie Jones came to the rescue again.
Improvement needed by Orient.
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