Leyton Orient 0 - 0 Swindon Town
Coca-Cola League One

ORIENT were forced to settle for a point for the fourth time in five matches when they were held to a 0-0 draw by promotion-chasing Swindon Town on Saturday.

Neither team could find a way through in a game of few chances and a blank scoreline was a fair reflection.

The Robins came into this clash on the back of a 12-match unbeaten League run and they possessed two of the division's in-form strikers in the shape of Billy Paynter and Charlie Austin.

So Orient would have been pleased to keep them out and claim the draw that moves them six points clear of the drop zone.

Orient went close to establishing a tenth minute lead when Andrew Cave-Brown's clipped ball into the left channel gave Adam Chambers a chance to establish possession in Swindon territory. Chambers played the ball inside to Jason Demetriou, who took the shot on, forcing a good one-handed save from David Lucas.

11 minutes later the O's came out on top in a midfield tussle, allowing Ryan Jarvis to thread a ball through to Scott McGleish. The home striker spotted Lucas off his line and attempted a chip, but his effort floated over the top.

The visitors had barely threatened early on, but they were within inches of scoring on the half hour when Alan Sheehan's left wing free kick picked out Paynter, whose header dropped just the wrong side of Jamie Jones' post.

The next chance fell to Orient, as Aaron Doran and Jarvis combined down the right for the latter to send over a low cross in the 33rd minute. Demetriou was arriving at the far post, but he couldn't control the shot, dragging it wide of the mark.

At the other end Sheehan drilled over the top after advancing from left back, and then Austin had a shot touched behind by Jones, but the O's should have edged in front two minutes before the break following another interchange between Doran and Jarvis.

The on-loan Blackburn winger poked a neat through ball through to the striker inside the area, but Lucas closed the angles down well and blocked with his legs.

It had been an even first half, and the second period started in a similar vein, with both defences remaining on top.

Swindon's Austin did have a chance on 59, but he couldn't direct Jon-Paul McGovern's low cross on target when ten yards from goal.

For the O's, Demetriou bent an effort comfortably wide of the far post as the game entered its final 12 minutes.

The same player then had an effort hacked away from under his own crossbar by Jonathan Douglas after Jonathan Téhoué and Doran combined to set up the chance.

Swindon had a spell of late pressure, forcing a succession of corners, but Orient broke in the final minute and Sean Thornton looked like getting on the end of Doran's pass but Douglas got back in the nick of time to touch the ball off his toes.

Paynter then drew a fingertip save from Jones in a frantic finale, but 0-0 was how it finished and that was probably about right.

Leyton Orient: Jones; Purches, Mkandawire, Chorley, Cave-Brown; Doran, Smith, Chambers (Thornton 46), Demetriou; Jarvis, McGleish (Téhoué 67)
Subs: Morris (GK), Ashworth, Pires, Mike, Scowcroft

Swindon: Lucas; Cuthbert, Morrison, Greer, Sheehan; McGovern, Douglas, Ferry (Easton 65), Ward (Ritchie 83); Austin (Péricard 72), Paynter
Subs: Timlin, Smith (GK), Jean-François, Marshall

Booked: Sheehan

Referee: Craig Pawson

Attendance: 4,574 (983 away)