Leyton Orient 0 - 5 Swansea City
Coca-Cola League One

ORIENT'S eight-game grip on the League One summit was ended in emphatic fashion by rampant Swansea City on Saturday.

The O's defensive weaknesses of recent weeks were in evidence again as the Swans smashed five goals without reply.

Tom Butler's fourth minute screamer set the tone, and although the rest of the opening period was fairly even, Roberto Martinez' men ran away with the contest with three strikes in the first 12 minutes of the second half.

A nightmare start to the second half - Swansea added a second when Darren Pratley's wonder strike bounced home off the unfortunate Stuart Nelson's back after the ball rebounced off the crossbar - just 16 seconds after the interval set Swansea on their way, but the O's stopper was largely culpable for the third and fourth goals.

Orient were stunned and there was no way back.  Warren Feeney even added a fifth in stoppage time to rub further salt into the wounds.

The O's got off to a nightmare start, falling behind on four minutes when Butler made the most of some space afforded to him outside the box to curl a superb effort into the top corner.

Three minutes later Nelson had to stretch to tip a header from giant defender Dennis Lawrence over the crossbar as Swansea looked to consolidate their early lead.

Swansea were enjoying the better of proceedings, but Orient almost drew level on 28 when Adam Boyd's deft touch from Sean Thornton's inswinging free-kick dropped just wide of the far post.

The O's were starting to grab a foothold in the game and another Thornton set piece six minutes later led to JJ Melligan volleying over the top.

At the other end Butler almost punished Orient again from range, but this time Nelson was table to touch the ball over the top, and Nelson saved the O's from the resulting corner, diving to his right to palm Warren Feeney's header away.

Left back Marcos Painter gifted Melligan an opportunity to level three minutes before the interval when he ducked out of the way of Nelson's long free kick, hoping that it would bounce through to goalkeeper Dorus De Vries.

Melligan read the situation to get in behind, but he hurried the shot and scuffed well wide.

Swansea made the most of their let off by doubling the lead 16 seconds into the second period.  Former Fulham man Pratley fired in a terrifc effort from 30 yards that dipped over Nelson's dive, came off the crossbar and crossed the line via the unfortunate Nelson's back.

Thornton drew a save from De Vries with a shot from the edge of the box on 50 minutes, but it got worse for the O's a minute later when Butler's low shot from an acute angle slipped under Nelson and in at the near post.

It was far too easy again for the Swans when they made it four before the hour.  Anderson cut insde past Aiden Palmer without any pressure and unleashed a low drive that seemed to go under Nelson once more.

Swansea were running riot and O's boss Martin Ling decided to introduce Jabo Ibehre, Jason Demetriou and Wayne Corden from the bench in an attempt to change the tide.

Corden and Ibehre fizzed efforts wide of the right hand post in quick succession, but Brisbane Road had fallen silent except for 687 jubilant Swans fans.

Feeney completed the rout in stoppage time, outpacing Alton Thelwell to reach Garry Monk's through ball before stroking past Nelson and into the far corner.

Leyton Orient: Nelson; Purches, Thelwell, Mkandawire, Palmer (Corden 63); Melligan (Demetriou 58), Chambers, Thornton, Daniels; Gray (Ibehre 58), Boyd
Subs: Morris (GK), Oji

Swansea: De Vries; Rangel, Monk, Lawrence, Painter; Anderson, Pratley, Bodde, Butler (Allen 84); Scotland (Orlandi 78), Feeney
Subs: Austin, O'Leary, Knight (GK)

Goal: Butler (4, 51), Pratley (46), Anderson (57), Feeney (90+2)

Booked: Feeney, Pratley, Painter

Referee: Trevor Kettle (Rutland)

Attendance: 5,586 (687 away)