Leyton Orient 1 - 3 Charlton Athletic
npower League 1
ORIENT slumped to their second League defeat of the season after failing to take advantage of Christian Dailly's red card for Charlton on Friday night.
The Addicks defender saw red for a second yellow moments after Scott McGleish had scored to bring the scores level at the start of the second period, and Orient looked to be on course to pick up their first points of the campaign.
But the south east Londoners had other ideas, and Scott Wagstaff and Chris Solly scored to give the visitors a 3-1 victory.
It was a frustrating finish to the game for the O's, and they travel to Southampton next week looking to get off the mark at the third attempt.
Charlton seemed to settle first and Kyel Reid pounced on a sloppy clearance from Ben Chorley in the third minute to send in a 25-yard shot that, fortunately for the home side, was straight at Jamie Jones.
The O's then came into it themselves, with skipper Stephen Dawson sending a rasping drive just over on 19 after receiving the ball from Adam Chambers outside the box.
Dawson tried his luck again three minutes later, forcing a decent save from Addicks keeper Rob Elliot with his fiercely-struck effort from the edge of the box.
Orient's best chance before the break fell to Alex Revell with 24 minutes on the clock, but he dragged his shot wide of the mark after the ball broke to him rather fortuitously inside the area.
And just as it looked as though Orient were getting a foothold in the contest, they fell behind to a goal that was made in Southend.
Former Shrimpers duo Simon Francis and Alan McCormack combined, as the former sent in a cross from deep and McCormack ran across Elliot Omozusi to nod beyond an exposed Jones.
Omozusi looked to make amends with a shot that was blocked by Gary Doherty after Matt Spring's free kick squirmed through the Charlton wall, but Orient had been rocked by McCormack's goal and they went in at the interval behind.
They weren't to stay behind for long though as McGleish pounced to give the home side the perfect start to the second period.
Just five minutes had elapsed after the restart when Dean Cox delivered a cross from the right that eluded Doherty and found McGleish to finish coolly at the far post.
A bad start to the second half for Charlton got worse just two minutes later when Dailly, booked for a first half handball, picked up his second yellow for a foul on Dawson.
However, they made light of their handicap by re-establishing their lead just ten minutes after Dailly exited the contest.
Wagstaff made an excellent burst off the right flank to collect Pawel Abbot's knockdown in the right channel, advance into the box and find the bottom left corner of Jones' net with an excellent finish.
Charlie Daniels had been introduced from the bench as he made his comeback from injury, and he looked set to test Elliot on 73 before Doherty threw himself into block.
And then when McCormack went flying in himself to charge down a Dawson effort just 60 seconds later, Orient had huge claims for a penalty turned down.
The O's skipper was absolutely convinced that McCormack had used his arms to block his venomous effort, with the Charlton man's attempt to mask that fact by holding his head not convincing anyone, except for the man that mattered - referee James Linington.
That was to prove the last serious threat from the O's as Charlton wrapped the game up in stoppage time when sub Solly showed great desire to get on the end of Wagstaff's low cross and score with his first touch.
Leyton Orient: Jones; Omozusi, Chorley, Forbes, Cestor (Daniels 58); Spring; Chambers (Porter 71), Dawson, Cox; McGleish, Revell (Jarvis 84)
Subs: Brown, Butcher (GK), Téhoué, Smith
Goal: McGleish 50
Booked: McGleish
Charlton: Elliot; Francis, Doherty, Dailly, Jackson; McCormack, Racon; Wagstaff, Martin (Solly 90+3), Reid (Llera 53); Abbott (Sodje 82)
Subs: Mambo, Stavrinou, Worner (GK), Tuna
Goals: McCormack 28, Wagstaff 62, Solly 90+4
Booked: Dailly, Abbott
Sent off: Dailly
Referee: James Linington
Attendance: 5,535 (1,593 away)
