Aldershot Town 4 - 2 Leyton Orient
Pontin's Holidays Combination Central Division

 A YOUNG Orient reserve team twice lost a lead before going down 4-2 to Aldershot Town on Tuesday.

The O's looked set to claim all three points when Aiden Palmer put them 2-1 up with a 77th minute penalty, but three late Aldershot goals condemned them to defeat.

Orient only had three professionals in their ranks and it was the more experienced players who shone, with Efe Echanomi looking impressive in attack and both Brian Saah and Palmer putting in good performances at the back.

But they were powerless to prevent Aldershot from taking the points with their late surge.

Assistant manager Dean Smith said: "The professionals showed a good attitude and applied themselves well in what was a very young reserve team."

On a freezing afternoon at the Recreation Ground, Echanomi gave the O's the perfect start by opening the scoring with just five minutes on the clock.

Aldershot levelled before the break, but Orient grabbed a second near the end when Echanomi put pressure on the home goalkeeper from a backpass and drew a foul from him.

The referee pointed to the spot and Palmer converted from 12 yards.

Orient's lead did not last long though, with the hosts making space from a set piece to send over a low cross from the right for their equaliser on 84.

An Aldershot penalty in the 90th minute made it 3-2, and the points were sealed in stoppage time when O's stopper Michael Doyle failed to keep out a shot from range.

ORIENT; Michael Doyle; Brandon Martin, Brian Saah (Tom Kemp 63), Frankie Webb, Aiden Palmer; Scott Grange (Harry Baker 63), Solomon Shields, Jack Page, Loick Pires; Efe Echanomi, Raphael Sylvester (Bradley Gray 76)