IT WAS one of football's 'quirks' that saw Leyton Orient hung out to dry by the Monkeys of Hartlepool on Saturday, according to Geraint Williams.

In predictable fashion, O's old boy Adam Boyd popped up with the decisive goal with just ten minutes remaining to hand his current side all three points and confine his former employers to 20th position in League One, just two points above the drop zone.

“These things happen,” said a frustrated Williams. “It's one of football's quirks. I'm not sure he had another shot apart from that but he scored the winning goal. Good luck to Adam, he did well for Orient, but when I told him of the interest of Hartlepool last year he wanted to go and talk to them.”

What grated the O's boss even more than Boyd's strike was the way it was allowed to happen. Williams directed his wrath towards referee Chris Pawson, after the official failed to beckon captain Stephen Purches back onto the field of play after the right-back had received treatment off the pitch.

“It (the game) was going to turn on one little thing and the referee took an eternity to get Stephen Purches back on the pitch. That led to the cross coming in and the goal being scored. It's one of those little things that are out of our control and what makes it frustrating.”

The goal was harsh on Orient who, after a dire first half, found their stride after the break and looked every bit as likely as the hosts to find a winner. Several teasing crosses from the byline from Jason Demetrious and Charlie Daniels narrowly failed to find their target, while Scott McGleish brought the best out of keeper Scott Flinders with a fierce half-volley.

Up to that point, the O's struggled to make any inroads into the Pool defence, with a lack of width and pace all too evident in their play, while their first effort on goal didn't arrive until the 52nd minute.

The game was crying out for the direct threat posed by young winger Andros Townsend, but Williams opted to leave him on the bench until the visitors had fallen behind, following an indifferent performance against Hereford in midweek.

“To be fair he's a young man and he's played an awful lot of football. In the first half in midweek he didn't look as sharp as he has done,” said Williams. “Sharpness is what he's all about and we want to keep him sharp so perhaps it was time to give him a bit of a breather to get him sharp again.”

One plus point for the O's was Sean Thornton managing to get through another 80 minutes without any reaction to the injury that kept him out for three months.

“I wasn't expecting to make the minutes I have done this week,” said the Irish midfielder. “I felt alright, a bit tired, but you have to feel tired to show you're working hard.

“Things were starting to happen but it was a stupid goal to give away.”