Leyton Orient 1 - 0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Johnstone's Paint Trophy Southern Section Round Two

ADRIAN PATULEA'S final minute goal fired Orient into the last 16 of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy at the expense of Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday night.

The Romanian striker found the net in the dying stages of an entertaining Brisbane Road cup tie to take Orient beyond the second round of this competition for the first time since 2005.

Patulea had moments earlier hit the crossbar when scoring seemed simpler, but he more than atoned for that with his thumping left-footed finish.

Fringe players Loick Pires and Luke Ashworth particularly impressed for the O's as they took their chance to show manager Geraint Williams what they could do on the first team stage.

With five minutes on the clock Brighton's Tommy Elphick nodded Arron Davies' free kick wide of the mark after Jason Demetriou was booked for a clumsy foul on Glenn Murray.

At the other end, Loick Pires had a fierce effort deflect behind off Adam Virgo, but referee Grant Hegley awarded the visitors a goal kick.

On the quarter hour Pires was involved again, running towards goal before feeding Patulea, who drilled across the goalkeeper and wide of the far post with his left foot.

Both sides were looking to attack, even if clear cut chances weren't forthcoming in the first half hour.

Jamie Jones made the game's first save on 31, fielding a low Dean Cox effort, while Pires fired a left-footed shot over the bar moments later for the O's

Seven minutes before the break Murray broke through a couple of challenges but couldn't test Jones with his weakly-struck effort and the interval came with the scoresheet blank.

After a similarly even start to the second period, Murray drew another comfortable save from Jones with his shot from outside the area.

All of Brighton's shots were flying straight down Jones' throat and left winger Cox was next to try his luck, cutting on to his right foot just outside the area before firing goalwards on 65.

Five minutes later O's sub Andros Townsend had his first chance to run at the Albion backline and his burst ended with a shot that keeper Graeme Smith gathered.

Pires stole in to meet an Andrew Cave-Brown cross a couple of minutes later, but Smith was sharply off his line to smother the winger's shot at source.

Still neither side were able to properly test the other's keeper though and penalties looked on the cards until a flurry of action in the final 15 minutes.

Brighton looked set to break the deadlock when Cox, their most dangerous player on the night, danced inside Cave-Brown and looked for goal from close range. Tamika Mkandawire blocked the initial effort and Gary Hart could only steer the rebound wide.

Two minutes later Jones batted down a stinging effort from Davies before gathering at the second attempt.

The chances were beginning to flow and Smith clawed away a goalbound header from Adrian Patulea on 79, with Elphick clearing up on the line, before Townsend shot from range and Smith flew to his right to save.

Five minutes from time Patulea wasted a golden chance to settle the tie, heading against the crossbar with the goal at his mercy after Demetriou crossed from the right.

But he made up for it four minutes later, firing emphatically beyond Smith after James Scowcroft flicked Jones' long ball on.

Cox nearly rescued a penalty shootout for the visitors when his 25-yard shot curled just over the O's crossbar but the Londoners had done enough to book their place in the southern area quarter finals.

Leyton Orient: Jones; Cave-Brown, Ashworth, Mkandawire, Daniels; Baker (Townsend 65), Demetriou, Smith, Pires; Patulea, Jarvis (Scowcroft 46)
Subs: Morris (GK), Chorley, Summerfield

Goal: Patulea 89

Booked: Demetriou

Brighton: G Smith; Virgo (Tunnicliffe 46), Elphick, Wright, McNulty (Livermore 68); Davies (McLeod 87), Thornhill, Navarro, Cox; Murray, Hart
Subs: Dickinson, J Smith

Referee: Grant Hegley

Attendance: 1,457 (555 away)