Leyton Orient 1 - 1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Coca-Cola League One

IT WAS a tale of two backpasses as Orient drew 1-1 with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday to maintain their unbeaten start to 2010.

Both Jamie Jones and Michel Kuipers had afternoons to forget as their howlers when attempting to deal with backpasses led to the game's two goals.

Jones' first half mistake handed Glenn Murray the chance to give Albion the lead on a plate, while Kuipers was forced to handle in his tricky moment, giving away the free-kick that Scott McGleish eventually bundled home from.

McGleish took great pleasure from silencing the Seagulls fans, who had given him their usual barrage of abuse.

In truth, Brighton could have been out of sight at half time and Orient would have been pleased to have taken a point from what was a fiercely-contested game. 

Brighton took the lead on 10 minutes - and it was a real gift from O's keeper Jones.

He miskicked when trying to deal with Adam Chambers' backpass, giving Brighton striker Murray the simple task of getting Jones to commit and stroke into the empty net. 

And there was so nearly a second present for the visitors on 21 when Elliott Bennett's inswinging corner flicked off McGleish's head and bounced off the crossbar twice before dropping to safety.

Three minutes later another Bennett dead ball delivery caused the O's problems as Tommy Elphick glanced a header not far wide of Jones' post.

Albion were enjoying the better of it and they thought they had doubled their lead on the half hour when Murray flicked Dickinson's cross into the bottom corner. Much to the O's relief, the linesman' flag was raised for offside and the score remained at 1-0.

There was another let off for the O's 10 minutes before the break when Ben Chorley appeared to bundle Liam Dickinson over in the box. A penalty looked like the only possible decision, but referee Steve Cook had other ideas - and for good measure Brighton boss Gus Poyet was sent to the stands for his protests.

Bennett then sent a 30-yard free kick just wide of the mark and the visitors were wondering how they led by just a single goal at the break - especially after Murray knocked over from in front of goal following Dickinson's excellent ball in from the right.

At the start of the second period it was Albion keeper Kuipers' turn to give away a goal following a backpass. He slipped when trying to control and had to flick the ball away with his hand to prevent Ryan Jarvis from seizing on the loose ball.

Orient were awarded an indirect free-kick 12 yards from goal, and although Sean Thornton's effort was blocked by Adam Virgo, McGleish squeezed the rebound inside the near post to make it 1-1.

The game continued to have a terrific ebb and flow to it, although both sides were finding it more difficult to create chances as time ticked by.

Bennett tried to change that nine minutes from the end when he got the wrong side of Stephen Purches and shot for goal, only for Jones to stick up a strong hand and deflect the ball over the bar.

At the other end Charlie Daniels' fierce effort was beaten away by Kuipers and Nicky Adams was unable to convert the rebound, and 1-1 was how it ended.

Leyton Orient: Jones; Purches, Mkandawire, Chorley, Daniels; Adams, Chambers, Thornton, Demetriou; McGleish (Scowcroft 76), Jarvis (Téhoué 67)
Subs: Morris (GK), Cave-Brown, Pires, Briggs, Smith

Goal: McGleish 53

Booked: Chorley, Demetriou, McGleish, Thornton

Brighton: Kuipers; Calderón, Elphick, Virgo, Painter; Bennett, Crofts, Navarro, Dicker; Dickinson, Murray (Hart 75)
Subs: Cox, Tunnicliffe, Carole, Hoyte, Brezovan (GK), Holroyd

Goal: Murray 10

Booked: Murray, Dicker, Kuipers, Calderón

Referee: Steve Cook

Attendance: 6,027 (1,834 away)