Leyton Orient 2 Brighton Hove Albion 1

Fans who expected the mix of the clubs' common straits and a lively rivalry to set this clash alight were kept waiting, as this scrappy encounter failed to ignite until the very end.

But the quality is irrelevant right now, and the result is all. And Orient won 2-1 to raise their chances of survival in the battle to beat the drop, and did so at the expense of relegation rivals, Brighton Hove Albion.

This relegation six-pointer was illuminated by a single piece of class by Sean Thornton. In the dying minutes of the game he scored the goal which might save Orient's season: a curling shot into the far corner from the edge of the box which left Mikkel Andersen in goal grasping at thin air.

It sent the Orient fans delirious, and silenced once and for all the 1,915 vocal Gulls fans who had exhorted their team on for 88 minutes, and roundly abused Scott McGleish while doing so.

This was a game where the fans created most of the atmosphere. It was a scrappy encounter on the pitch, perhaps unsurprisingly considering what was at stake for each side.

Orient for the most part looked short of ideas in attack, against a Brighton side which started strong but then faded as the game went on.

But the cheer from the home fans at the final whistle was worthy of a cup final. A crowd of supporters then gathered at the tunnel to cheer the Orient players from the field, and jeer off the losers.

However, such an outcome seemed a long way away in the 16th minute.

Then, the Orient stands had taken on a funeral air when Brighton snatched the lead.

Lloyd Owusu for the visitors won an ariel challenge with Jones to keep the ball in Orient's mixer of a six yard area. Two yards from his goal-line, Spence opted to play with the ball and not clear it into row Z.

He was dispossessed by Matt Heath, a threat all game, and he scored with his second stab at goal, after Stephen Purches had been thrown off-balanced keeping out his first effort.

It was McGleish who raised the spirits at the end of the first half, just as he did against Peterborough last Tuesday, when he showed the benefit of experience to keep cool and fire Orient level from the penalty spot..

Seagulls defender Andy Whing conceded the spot-kick when he wrapped his arms round Simon Church on the edge of the box. Referee Richard Beeby pointed to the spot.

His decision was cheered by home fans as loudly as they had decried his failure minutes earlier to send off Al Bangura after Charlie Daniels was knocked out cold in a ariel challenge between the pair.

Chambers was subdued, and was replaced at half time by Paul Terry, who did add a bit more bite to Orient's attacks.

McGleish and Church had to feed off scraps themselves. After the break, substitute Dean Morgan was guilty of wasting possession after getting himself into threatening positions.

But Orient got on top of the match early in the second half and Brighton faded.

Thornton netted soon after the re-start but it was ruled off-side. It was the end of a spell of pressure by the O's inside the Brighton box which had began with McGleish heading against the cross bar.

But Brighton did threaten. Jones saved well at close range to keep out a header by Matt Heath.

A draw would not be satisfactory for either side, and Orient looked most likely to grab all three from lack lustre Brighton.

But they left it late and it was Thornton who gave everyone a glimpse of what he can do, and handed the club extra hope for their League One survival.

Attendance: 5,885.