Carlisle United 2 - 2 Leyton Orient
Coca-Cola League One

ORIENT came from two goals down to claim a well-earned point at Carlisle United on Saturday.

The Cumbrians looked set for a three-point haul when they led 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Joe Anyinsah and Ian Harte.

But Orient had other ideas and turned in a tremendous second half performance to keep their unbeaten start to 2010 going.

Ryan Jarvis' close range finish just before the hour halved the deficit and the O's striker was involved again for the leveller, seeing his header loop in off Danny Livesey.

Orient may feel they could have won it - Jonathan Téhoué and Nicky Adams both went close late on - but they would have certainly taken a point at half time.

A quiet start to the contest was ended in the 14th minute when Anyinsah's tricky feet on the edge of the box bought him the space inside the area to sidefoot past Jamie Jones.

Eight minutes later Nicky Adams' return pass from a throw in gave Stephen Purches a crossing opportunity from the right. His centre picked out James Scowcroft at the near post, but he couldn't direct his header on target, flicking the ball across the face of goal and wide.

The opening period was lacking in action but there was a late sting in the tail when Carlisle almost doubled their lead on 39, Gary Madine sticking out a foot to poke Evan Horwood's low left wing cross towards goal. The ball looped up and threatened to arc over Jones, but the O's keeper adjudsted his feet well to claw away from under his crossbar.

Three minutes later the home side did break through for a second time when Matty Robson's corner was met by a header from Harte which crept in at the far post.

Richard Offiong - on for the injured goalscorer Anyinsah - then had a chance to score a third, running onto a long ball out of defence but shooting straight at Jones under pressure from Tamika Mkandawire.

Orient needed to approach the second period with more urgency and Sean Thornton tried to provide it 60 seconds after the restart, shooting over after feeding the ball into Jarvis and collecting his lay-off.

The O's were looking like the more potent attacking force at the start of the second half and they got their reward with 59 minutes on the clock when Jarvis lashed into the top corner after Adams cut in from the right and passed square for Scowcroft, whose shot was deflected into Jarvis' path.

It was a lifeline nearly ripped from the visitors' grasp two minutes later when Jones had to fling himself to the right to touch Harte's goalbound free kick behind.

Orient thought they should have been awarded a penalty on 65 minutes when goalkeeper Adam Collin appeared to sweep Jason Demetriou's legs from under him as he scrambled to reach a loose ball following a good run and shot from Adams.

The visitors' appeals fell on deaf ears, but they did haul themselves level 13 minutes from the end, with a helping hand from their hosts.

Adam Chambers' driven cross from the right found Jarvis in the middle, and his header looked to be going wide until it flicked off Livesey's head and nestled in the corner of Collin's goal.

Six minutes from time the O's were a whisker away from a winner when Adams, again centrally involved, provided a cross from the right for Jonathan Téhoué, whose excellent downward header was touched behind by Collin.

At the other end Jones had to dive to his right to block from Keogh after the Carlisle right back advanced into the O's box to shoot.

Livesey went some way to atoning for his error in the final minute, blocking from Adams on the line, and it was a measure of how dominant Orient were after the break that they would have felt a slight tinge of disappointment that they couldn't force a winner.

Carlisle: Collin; Keogh, Livesey, Harte, Horwood; Hurst (Bridge-Wilkinson 79), Clayton, Thirlwell, Robson; Anyinsah (Offiong 39), Madine
Subs: Murphy, Kavanagh, Taiwo, Kane, Pidgeley (GK)

Goals: Anyinsah 14, Harte 42

Booked: Harte

Leyton Orient: Jones; Purches, Mkandawire, Chorley, Daniels; Adams, Chambers, Thornton, Demetriou; Jarvis (Smith 90+1), Scowcroft (Téhoué 71)
Subs: Morris (GK), Melligan, Cave-Brown, Pires, Briggs

Goals: Jarvis 59, Livesey og 77

Referee: Carl Boyeson

Attendance: 4,687 (182 away)