ORIENT did not do enough to win this Tuesday night London derby, but one howling error was more than enough to lose it.

The O's were just about holding their own against a dynamic but wasteful Charlton Athletic side, when highly rated Tamika Mkandawire conspired to gift Dean Burton an easy chance to make it 2-1 going into the last ten minutes.

In scenes reminiscent of last Satuday's defeat to Oldham, Mkandawire and Jones had a communications break-down, as Tam let a nothing ball bounce over his head as Jones rushed out.

Burton sped up as Tam slowed, and put himself through one-one-one. It was an elementary finish past Jones into the net.

It was so painful for Mkandawire. He had headed the hosts into the lead on 27 minutes, when he rose in the middle of the area to meet Charlie Daniels free kick from the right.

Jonjo Shelvey had levelled the scores with a classy volley just inside the area.

The result means Orient are still to win at home this season.

O's boss Geraint Williams rotated his strikers again for this game. Ryan Jarvis and James Scowcroft up front.

Scowcroft looked off the pace in the early stages and struggled to make an impression.

Orient first warmed the Charlton keeper's gloves when in-form Melligan hit a speculative half volley which keeper Rob Elliot comfortably caught.

Soon afterwards, Jonjo Shelvey gave a glimpse of why he is so highly rated when he curled a shot just high of the angle of cross and bar after a mazy run into the heart of Orient's final third.

Something must have rattled Shelvey because he went stamping about the ground between Orient's midfield and back line, and floored Sean Thornton.

It looked like a flying head-butt and garnered him a yellow card.

Jamie Jones was superb on 27 minutes when he scrambled across the goal line and palmed away Sam's point blank shot at the far post, after Shelvey had delivered a deep cross from the right. Charlton had plenty of possession, they looked dangerous in attack, but they were wasteful in front of goal.

So Orient's goal was no shock, even it was against the run of play.

Tamika Mkandawire silenced Charlton's brash fans on 31 minutes when he got on the end of Danmiels' free kick and planted his header into the top left corner from the middle of the area.

Charlton were confident in attack and were helped in this by Orient's back line, which did back off at times.

The host's were dicing with danger and Sam reminded them when he weaved his way past Jimmy Smith only to blazed his shot just wide.

On 38 minutes Melligan slid in at the far post to double the advantage minutes later but Jason Demetriou's cross whizzed past his boot just as it had evaded everyone else in the area.

Orient carved out few chances throughout, summed up when Jarvis unleashed an ambitious, and doomed, half volley from 30 yard out on 42 minutes.

Shelvey equalled that just before the break with a wild lash which had fans at the back of the North Stand ducking for cover.

At the end of three minutes added time, Charlie Daniels was denied a superb goal by keeper Elliot who took flight to palm away the left back's exquisite in-curling free kick from the right side.

Charlton came out for the second half hunting an equaliser. Jones saved superbly on 50 minutes when Miguel Llera hit a free kick over the wall towards the top of the net.

The second period came to the boil quick, as the 2,794 Addick fans got ever more desperate.

Charlton skipper Nicky Bailey's header whistled over the bar on 65 minutes, then Jarvis could have hit back but dragged his shot wide of the left post.

But Charlton soon levelled proceedings, and it was that man Shelvey.

He struck with a right foot volley from just inside the area on 63 minutes to cap a spell of pressure by the Addicks.

The goal had been coming.

Nicky Youga almost doubled the advantage for Charlton on 71 minutes when he drilled a shot from the right over the far post.

Thornton had done the same from a dead ball just before.

The game got scrappier as it wore on into the final 15 minutes.

Orient chased after the ball, while Charlton had plenty of it but made nothing of it.

On 78 minutes Charlton took the lead when Mkandawire fatal lapse.

Adrian Patulea arrived on the pitch with ten minutes to play, but was powerless to turn things around.

Is another home hex descending on Brisbane Road?

Jones, Purches, Mkandawire, Chorley, Dainels, Demetriou, Thornton, Smith, Melligan (Patulea), Jarvis, Scowcroft (McGleish 67) Attendance 7,376 of which 2,794 Charlton fans