Connor comes back to haunt Orient

FORMER Orient striker Paul Connor came back to haunt his old club and all but end their lingering play-off hopes.

The ex-O's frontman's 47 minute effort proved enough to secure the points and see the east Londoners suffer their first back-to-back league defeats of the season.

The visitors had the first effort on goal, but Adam Boyd's 25-yard effort from the left just failed to hit the target on six minutes.

It was however Connor who came the closest to opening the scoring for the Robins on 16 minutes, but his angled shot from 10 yards out came crashing back off an upright.

The hosts continued to press and Cheltenham's leading scorer Steven Gillespie then brought a fine save out of Glenn Morris with an effort from the edge of the area on 19 minutes.

Back at the other end and Boyd flashed one wide of the left-hand upright on 26 minutes from the edge of area.

The O's continued to press and Andy Barcham back in the team for the suspended JJ Melligan then had an effort from just inside the box saved by Shane Higgs.

Boyd then had a chance blocked on the line by defender Jerry Gill and were able to scramble the ball to safety.

The next chance of the half arrived on 36 minutes, when Wayne Gray flashed a right footed effort at goal from 12 yards, but keeper Higgs tipped the effort around his post.

Orient then suffered a blow after Brian Saah limped out of the action to be replaced by Clayton Fortune, who was making his first start of the season for the O's.

Charlie Daniels then sent a long range effort wide of the target.

Morris then produced an excellent save to his left on 40 minutes to tip Scott Brown's right footed volley around his post.

Gray had the first chance of the second period, but couldn't get his shot on target a minute after the restart.

But ex-O's striker Connor made no mistake on 47 minutes, when he drilled home from close range to give Morris no chance, after the visitors had struggled to clear their lines from a set piece.

And Martin Ling's men had a real let off on 55 minutes, after Gillespie's lobbed effort crashed against the bar.

The Robins striker was then inches away from doubling the lead 58 minutes, with a curling effort that only just flew over the woodwork.

And Gillespie rattled the bar for a second time on 64 minutes with another lobbed effort from just outside the box.

Cheltenham sub Andy Vincent was then denied by a smart save from Morris, who tipped the close range effort around his post.

The O's stopper then saw Damian Spencer's shot fly just past his goal.

Orient pressed for an equaliser in the closing stages and sub Sean Thornton shot just wide on 90 minutes from 12 yards out, before Gray had an effort saved deep into stoppage time from a similar distance.

ORIENT: Morris; Purches, Thelwell Daniels, Saah (Fortune 37), Palmer; Barcham, Terry (Thornton 71), Chambers, Demetriou (Ibehre 63); Gray, Boyd. Unused: Nelson (GK), Palmer.