Last-gasp agony for Cobblers as Leyton Orient snatch win in seven-goal thriller

Orient were the superior side in the first half and they appeared destined to take a deserved lead into the break following Ollie O’Neill’s 35th-minute strike, but Marc Leonard found the bottom corner with unerring precision with virtually the last kick of the half.

Shaq Forde restored Orient’s lead early in the second half before Kieron Bowie levelled with his eighth of the season but the drama was far from done as Sotiriou headed the home side back in front three minutes later, only for Tyreece Simpson to equalise almost immediately.

The spoils looked set to be shared as the clock ticked past 96 minutes but Orient applied relentless late pressure and they would have the final say when a ball over the top found Sotiriou and he finished clinically to snatch a dramatic victory.

Cobblers are now four games without a win and drop to 12th, 10 points above the bottom four.

Jon Brady made two enforced changes for the trip to the capital after Lee Burge and Aaron McGowan were both ruled out through injury, which meant Harvey Lintott started at right-back and young goalkeeper Louie Moulden was handed his full Cobblers debut.

Orient made the more purposeful start and the game’s first chance fell their way on 11 minutes when Brandon Cooper met a corner at the back post and headed towards goal, but Moulden was well placed to make the save.

The home side looked to stretch the pitch and switch play at every opportunity and that was causing problems for Cobblers down both flanks as George Moncur shot straight at Moulden before Jordan Willis produced an important block.

Town improved bit by bit and gradually saw more of the play but, just as they were gaining a foothold, Orient broke the deadlock.

The opener arrived on 35 minutes when a quickly taken short corner caught the visitors napping and O’Neill was left in space to fire low and hard and into the far corner, with Moulden’s view blocked by Jordan Brown in the six-yard box.

Cobblers seemed certain to go into half-time trailing when the fourth official signalled just one added minute, but that was enough time for them to level things up.

After some patient passing around the Orient penalty box, Leonard found a pocket of space 20 yards out and drilled an exquisite shot into the bottom corner.

The visitors almost turned it around completely within 90 seconds of the restart after a long throw caused panic in the Orient box and Louis Appéré, Jon Guthrie and Will Hondermarck were all in there but none could get a clean shot away.

The next goal felt crucial and it was Orient who snuck back ahead just before the hour.

Rob Hunt’s curling attempt was well saved by Moulden but the rebound fell kindly for Forde who was left with an open goal and he made no mistake.

It could have been 3-1 within seconds but El Mizouni’s close-range effort was straight at Moulden while a terrific defensive challenge denied Appéré at the other end.

Ben Fox, Tony Springett and Tyreece Simpson were all sent on by Brady and two of those combined to help Cobblers draw level for a second time.

Fox punched a pass through to Springett and his low cross was laid back to Bowie by Pinnock and he applied a terrific first-time finish.

Town’s joy was short-lived, however, as Orient were back ahead just three minutes later. Again the visitors switched off from a corner and Sotiriou was left unmarked to glance home.

The goals just kept coming though as a third arrived in the space of six minutes with Cobblers hauling themselves level once again.

Fox’s ball into the box was not dealt with by Orient and Simpson showed strength and composure to turn and fire into the roof of the net.

A crazy contest continued to be wide open as El Mizouni hit the crossbar from distance and Pinnock couldn’t sort his feet out at the other end before Orient came back again with Sotiriou skying into the stands from the middle of the penalty box.

It was all Orient in stoppage-time and they would find a winner in the 97th minute.

Cobblers failed to properly clear a corner and the ball was played back in for Sotiriou to smash home and send home fans wild.

Match facts

Orient: Brynn, James (Hunt 45), Brown (Pratley 60), Beckles ©, O’Neill, Edwards (Adu-Adjei 76), Galbraith, Cooper, Moncur (Sotiriou 77), El Mizouni, Forde (Sweeney 90)

Subs not used: Howes, Pegrum

Cobblers: Moulden, Lintott (Springett 73), Willis, Guthrie ©, Brough, Gape (Fox 53), Hondermarck, Leonard, Pinnock, Bowie, Appéré (Simpson 71)

Subs not used: Dadge, Moore, Monthé, Abimbola

Referee: Ben Atkinson

Attendance: Not given

Cobblers fans: 573