Leyton Orient 0 - 1 Stoke City
AET, 0-0 at 90 minutes
Carling Cup Round Two

DAVE KITSON'S first Stoke City goal ended Orient's Carling Cup involvement for another year after the O's took their Premier League visitors to extra time on Wednesday night.

90 entertaining minutes couldn't separate the sides as Orient put their recent defensive problems behind them to hold the top flight Potters at bay.

But Dave Kitson's controversial winner - there looked to be a foul in the build up before he swivelled and sent a terrific volley into the top corner - four minutes into the extra period settled the tie.

With nine minutes on the clock Stoke's Dave Kitson drove wide after collecting a ball from Danny Pugh and turning away from Tamika Mkandawire midway inside the O's half.

A minute later Mkandawire deflected another Kitson effort safely over the bar, while the ex-Cambridge man sent another curling effort wide on 11 minutes as he looked for an early breakthrough.

But Orient soon settled and began to make the running as the shots continued to rain in during the opening exchanges.

Ryan Jarvis received a pass into feet from Jimmy Smith, jinked away from his man and clipped a shot over with 14 minutes on the clock.

Three minutes later Stoke keeper Steve Simonsen was forced into his first save when Andros Townsend robbed Ryan Shotton inside the box and sent an angled drive towards goal.

Townsend threatened again on 20 when he made a darting run down the left and drilled goalwards only for Simonsen to produce a flying save.

Orient were forced into a change of personnel on the half hour when Jamie Jones went off with an injury to be replaced by Glenn Morris.

And the O's sub keeper was into the action immediately, diving to his right to turn Richard Cresswell's effort behind on 35 after Tom Soares sent a good pass into the middle.

Four minutes later Morris showed good reflexes at his near post to deny Kitson as Stoke ended the half strongly.

But it was the O's who came so close to breaking the deadlock three minutes before the break when Charlie Daniels' deflected free kick went through the legs of Adrian Patulea when any kind of touch would have found the net.

Then in stoppage time, Demetriou drew a fingertip save from Simonsen after exchanging passes with Jarvis and shooting towards the far post from the left hand side of the area.

Orient were out of the traps quickest at the start of the second period and Patulea wasted a great chance on 47, nodding wide at the far post after Daniels swung over a cross.

It had been a quieter start to the second period but Stoke's threat grew around the hour and a corner which Morris could only half punch away led to a scramble in which Kitson and Michael Tonge had fierce shots blocked in quick succession.

With 73 minutes on the clock Creswell sent a venomous shot flashing across goal, although he did appear to use his hand to control in the build up.

Six minutes from time Kitson couldn't have come closer to finding a game-clinching goal, seeing his header rebound to safety off a combination of Melligan and the crossbar after Morris failed to deal with a corner effectively, but Stoke couldn't make the most of their pressure and 30 extra minutes beckoned.

Two minutes into extra time Townsend drilled over at the far post when he needed to show better composure.

The O's were punished for that miss within minutes when Kitson turned and drilled a 25-yard volley into the top corner, with Orient's appeals for a foul falling on deaf ears.

The home side tried to respond and Jarvis' stinging long range effort was tipped over the bar by Simonsen, but there was no way back for the O's and Stoke booked their place in round three.

Leyton Orient: Jones (Morris 31); Purches, Chorley, Mkandawire, Daniels; Melligan, Smith, Demetriou, Townsend (Pires 97); Jarvis, Patulea (Chambers 100)
Subs: Ashworth, Cave-Brown, Baker, Hall

Booked: Chorley

Stoke: Simonsen; Shotton (Griffin 48), Cort, Sonko (Davies 48), Dickinson; Soares (Moult 62), Faye, Pugh, Tonge; Kitson, Cresswell
Subs: Lund, Wedderburn, Parton (GK)

Goal: Kitson 94

Booked: Cort, Moult, Griffin

Attendance: 2,742 (556 away)