ORIENT saw their play-off hopes take a blow at St James' Park this afternoon.

A Jamie Cureton winner 12 minutes from time proved enough for the Grecians.

It was Cureton who had started the ball rolling with an early opener, but the O's thought they had at least earned a point thanks to a spectacular Dean Cox equaliser.

This was an even encounter with nothing between the two sides, and the game could have gone either way.

The O's found themselves up against it from the fourth minute, the hosts taking the lead through Cureton. The prolific striker swept the ball home from close range after Daniel Nardiello had crossed from the right.

Cureton almost made it two immediately afterwards, his lob going just over after a weak back header from Elliot Omozusi.

It was not the start Orient had wanted, the back four all over the place in the opening minutes.

Nardiello also came close, curling the ball just past the upright.

However, completely out of the blue, Cox fired the visitors back into the game on 12 minutes. It was a cracking strike, the winger finding the top corner from 20 yards with Orient's first chance. In fact, it was the first time the visitors had even got out of their own half.

But only an offside flag ruled out a second for Orient midway through the half, Stephen Dawson finishing off a lovely move.

And Cox almost found the net again with another cracker, his drive clipping the far post on this occasion.

The half ended with both sides giving as good as they got, the match still in the balance.

The second period did not start in the same fashion as the first had. Both sides struggled to stamp their authority and there was little to excite the fans of either team.

The first real chance did not come until 63 minutes, Harry Kane seeing a long-range effort pushed out by keeper Ben Hamer.

At the other end, Richard Logan headed wide at the back post following a corner.

Logan should have done better when O's keeper Jamie Jones, not for the first time, mis-hit a clearance, but the sub saw his shot blocked.

Jones did much better a minute later, acrobatically pushing away Ryan Harley's thunderbolt.

With 15 minutes to go, James Dunne saw an excellent drive finish on the roof of the net, Exeter trying to move up a gear in search of a winner.

And the goal came on 78 minutes. Jones saved Logan's initial effort, but the ball ran loose and Cureton was on hand to slip it into the empty net.

Cureton had a chance to grab a hat-trick but headed straight at Jones with four minutes to go.

For Orient, Andrew Whing had a chance at the back post, but the angle was tight and Hamer blocked his drive.

Sub Jason Crowe also shot wide from a central position, as the hosts held on.

ORIENT (4-4-2): Jones; Whing, Omozusi, Barrett, Daniels; Chambers, Spring, Dawson (Crowe 45), Cox; McGleish (Tehoue 70), Kane (Jarvis 84). Subs not used: Butcher, Forbes, Odubajo.

Attendance: 5,036 (347 away fans)