Norwich City 4 - 0 Leyton Orient
Coca-Cola League 1

FOUR goals in the final 15 minutes sent ten-man Orient to a crushing defeat at Norwich City on Tuesday evening.

Hampered by JJ Melligan's 53rd minute sending off following a 50/50 challenge with Norwich's Adam Drury, Orient nevertheless withstood the home pressure until the 75th minute.

But once Chris Martin had finally broken the deadlock Orient crumbled and Grant Holt, Michael Spillane and Jamie Cureton all found the net in the closing stages.

Orient will point to Melligan's red card as a decisive moment, but in reality Norwich were already well on top by then and kept the visitors pinned back for long periods of the first half.

The Londoners entertained thoughts of taking home an unlikely point after keeping the Canaries out for so long, but Norwich were worthy winners on a chastening night for Orient.

The O's made a good start with Andros Townsend looking lively on the left flank and Luke Summerfield forced a sprawling stop from Canaries keeper Declan Rudd in the seventh minute with his speculative strike from an angle.

Five minutes later Charlie Daniels almost snapped the home crossbar in two with a stunning long-range effort that had youngster Rudd beaten all ends up.

Norwich should have made more of their let off three minutes later when Wes Hoolahan beat Ben Chorley's efforts to play him offside and found himself through on goal. The Canaries man cut inside onto his left foot and stroked the ball across for Simon Lappin, inviting the winger to score, but Jamie Jones blocked his shot to rescue the O's.

Norwich were starting to get a handle on the game and Paul McVeigh sent in a 20-yarder in the 24th minute that Jones fielded on the bounce.

The Canaries were pressing hard for the opening goal and Spillane was next to go close, heading Holt's cross straight at Jones when, in truth, he didn't have much of the goal to aim at.

McVeigh drew another stop from Jones with an angled drive on 37 minutes and, with Norwich in total control, Hoolahan exchanged passes with Holt seconds later only to shoot at Jones from close range.

Orient's task was made all the more difficult with 53 minutes on the clock when Drury and Melligan both flew in for a tackle, and referee Karl Evans decided that Melligan's attempt was over the top and red carded the O's man.

Jones came to the visitors' rescue again ten minutes later, making himself big to block Holt's close range header after Spillane's cross picked the striker out in space at the far post.

The O's keeper was having a superb game and he showed great bravery to claw away a low cross from the feet of Holt, receiving a clattering from a combination of the Norwich man and Summerfield for his troubles. Jones didn't look in a good way, but he got to his feet after treatment and continued.

But the O's couldn't hold out and the vital first goal finally arrived 15 minutes from time when sub Martin was fed in by Korey Smith in the right hand side of the penalty to drill across Jones and into the far corner.

And with Orient's resistance finally broken, Norwich soon doubled their advantage, Holt bringing down Drury's cross on his chest before finishing emphatically to put the result beyond doubt.

With 81 minutes on the clock it got worse for the visitors when Spillane danced inside Daniels and produced a stunning finish to beat Jones to his right.

Norwich were absolutely rampant and Martin cracked a drive wide from the edge of the box as they looked for more.

Jones made a smart low stop to deny Jamie Cureton in stoppage time, but Cureton was to get the better of the O's keeper shortly afterwards when he ran clear to slot home the Canaries' fourth.

Norwich: Rudd; Spillane, Doherty, Askou, Drury; McVeigh (Martin 67), Smith, Russell (Hughes 82), Lappin; Holt (Cureton 85), Hoolahan
Subs: Theokiltos (GK), Adeyemi, Daley, McDonald

Goals: Martin 75, Holt 78, Spillane 81, Cureton 90+5

Leyton Orient: Jones; Cave-Brown, Chorley, Mkandawire, Daniels; Melligan, Smith, Summerfield, Townsend (Demetriou 65); Jarvis, Scowcroft (McGleish 65)
Subs: Morris (GK), Ashworth, Pires, Baker, Patulea

Booked: Smith, Scowcroft

Sent off: Melligan

Referee: Karl Evans

Attendance: 23,981 (933 away)