Leyton Orient 0 - 0 Carlisle United
Coca-Cola League One

ORIENT gave a vastly improved performance but had to settle for a draw after failing to find a way past a stubborn Carlisle United on Saturday.

The O's controlled periods of the Brisbane Road clash and created the lion's share of the chances, but were frustrated by the visitors' backline.

Both sides looked lively early on and Brian Saah nodded Jason Demetriou's cross over the top with 18 minutes on the clock.

Six minutes later Ryan Jarvis, playing on the right flank, beat his man and sent over a cross, but the ball had just too much fizz on it for Adam Boyd, who directed his header over the bar.

At the other end, Scott Dobie should have given Carlisle the lead, but he got too much power on his header from Simon Hackney's cross, sending it too high. 

Paul Terry then fired wide from 12 yards as the game really started to come to life, while the O's were forced into two early changes - Simon Dawkins and Aiden Palmer replacing Wayne Gray and Danny Granville.

Carlisle's Simon Hackney looked dangerous when running at the O's defence and he forced a save from Glenn Morris on the half-hour.

Four minutes later Adam Boyd should have done better when presented with a great chance by Dawkins' pass.  With goalkeeper Ben Williams scrambling across his goal, the O's striker looked well placed to score, but he sent the header wide.

With 37 minutes on the clock the O's created another chance as they broke out of defence quickly.  Jason Demetriou's pass played Dawkins in, but Williams stood up well to save.

It had been a decent first half from the O's but they needed to make the breakthrough and Jarvis came close to doing just that on 58, rifiling a 20-yard shot over the bar after Jason Demetriou intelligently cut the ball back to him.

Carlisle were defending stubbornly though and it wasn't until the 70th minute that Orient went close again - a combination of Williams and Evan Horwood blocking Boyd's well-executed volley on the line after Demetriou's corner travelled across the box to the striker.

At the other end, Danny Graham drew a stop from Morris with a well-struck low shot from a tight angle, but Orient continued to look the more threatening and Chambers was denied by Williams after bursting into the area 15 minutes from time.

Carlisle sub Cleveland Taylor reminded the O's of the visitors' threat when his back-post header brushed the crossbar.

Dobie saw red for the visitors three minutes from time for striking out at Brian Saah following a 50-50 challenge.

The O's bolstered their attacking options by introducing Loick Pires from the bench, but they couldn't find a way through and had to settle for a point.

Leyton Orient: Morris; Purches, Thelwell, Saah, Granville (Palmer 32); Jarvis (Pires 88), Chambers, Terry, Demetriou; W Gray (Dawkins 26), Boyd
Subs: Jones (GK), Ashworth

Booked: Demetriou

Carlisle: Williams; Raven, Livesey, Murphy, Horwood; Dobie, Bridge-Wilkinson, Thirlwell, Hackney (Keogh (90+3); Graham (Taylor 82), Carlton (Bridges 72)
Subs: Joyce, Howarth (GK)

Booked: Bridge-Wilkinson, Thirlwell, Bridges

Sent-off: Dobie

Referee: Michael Jones (Cheshire)

Attendance: 3,803 (600 away)