Dagenham & Redbridge 1 - 0 Leyton Orient
Pre-Season Friendly

ORIENT'S pre-season programme ended with a scrappy 1-0 defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday afternoon.

A week before the start of their League 1 campaign at Bristol Rovers, Orient toiled in vain against their east London neighbours, falling to Scott Griffiths' last gasp header.

Paul Benson had earlier struck the post for the home side, but genuine openings were few on far between on a drizzly day in Dagenham.

The O's experienced the high of a 6-1 win over Newcastle last week and it is to that result they will look, rather than Saturday's defeat, when they head down the M4 in seven days time.

Harry Baker had the first effort on goal of the game, drilling wide of the near post on five minutes after Charlie Daniels swept a quickly-taken free kick across the pitch.

Scott McGleish's speculative shot flew high and wide in the 15th minute, but it had been a quiet start with neither side stamping an early authority on the contest.

With 17 minutes on the clock, Mark Arber stole in to meet Danny Green's corner but could only divert the ball wide of the mark.

Sean Thornton then only just cleared the home side's crossbar with a dipping 25-yard free kick and Tony Roberts had to make his first stop on 23 as the chances started to flow, comfortably fielding Baker's well-struck effort.

The O's were upping the pressure and they came close to breaking the deadlock in the 29th minute following an excellent move that saw them shift the ball from one end of the pitch to the other.

It started with goalkeeper Jamie Jones who threw the ball out to Baker on the right. Baker moved possession inside to Jimmy Smith, who in turn swept the ball out to Jason Demetriou on the opposite flank. Demetriou cut on to his right foot and delivered a cross to the far post, where Thornton knocked a volley wide of the mark.

Seven minutes later Dagenham striker Jon Nurse flashed a shot over the top after getting the better of Luke Ashworth, while Solomon Taiwo curled an effort wide of the post as the League 2 side put together a decent spell before the break.

Orient responded with a flowing move of their own, which ended with Charlie Daniels crossing low for Smith, whose shot was deflected behind for a corner.

Thornton delievered and Dagenham could only clear as far as Daniels, who fired goalwards from 25 yards, only for another deflection to take the ball wide of the post.

Thornton was also involved in the creation of the first opening after half time, taking a free kick short to Demetriou, who clipped the ball over for Scott McGleish to send a fierce shot straight into Roberts' hands from an angle.

The home side's Taiwo was then booked for an ugly challenge on Daniels as the pair battled for a loose ball inside the O's box.

At the other end, Paul Benson came desperately close to opening the scoring when he collected a diagonal ball from Danny Green and shot towards the far post.

Jamie Jones seemed to leave the ball, thinking it was going wide, but in truth it was too close a call for comfort and the woodwork came to the O's stopper's rescue.

Both sides struggled to make an impact as the second half descended into a scrappy affair, but Arber should have scored three minutes from time when Taiwo's free kick picked him out unmarked at the far post, only for the defender to nod wide.

That miss was not to matter for the Daggers though, as Griffiths found space from Taiwo's injury time corner to bury a header beyond Jones.

Dagenham: Roberts; Ogogo, Antwi (Doe 77), Arber, Griffiths; Green (Newton 84), Taiwo, Thurgood, Gain (Montgomery 77); Nurse, Benson (Scott 77)
Subs: Bentley, Hogan (GK), Lewington (GK)

Goal: Griffiths 90+1

Booked: Taiwo

Leyton Orient: Jones; Purches, Ashworth, Mkandawire, Daniels; Baker (Melligan 46), Smith, Thornton (Pires 74), Demetriou; Scowcroft (Patulea 74), McGleish (Jarvis 61)
Subs: Morris (GK), Cave-Brown, Hall

Referee: Jarnail Singh

Attendance: 1,002