League One: Leyton Orient 2 Coventry City 0

Dean Cox saved Kevin Lisbie’s blushes to keep Orient in touch with League One leaders Brentford.

The winger fired in his 11th goal of the season seconds after Lisbie had been denied by a superb penalty save by Coventry goalkeeper Joe Murphy.

Chris Dagnall had won the spot kick just before the hour mark on his full debut, being tripped in the box after a wonderful bit of trickery.

And the returning David Mooney sealed the victory four minutes after coming on when his long range effort was fumbled into the net by Murphy.

For a long while it had looked like the O’s were going to be made to pay for a succession of misses in a match the home side dominated.

Orient made two changes from the win at Crewe. Two goal hero Dagnall came in as did Romain Vincelot, who was in the starting line-up for the first time in a month.

They replaced Robbie Simpson and Jamie Ness respectively, who dropped to the bench.

Coventry were without injured top scorer Leon Clarke, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the club – the Sky Blues have rejected two bids from League One rivals Wolves.

The two top-scoring teams met for the fourth time this season in all competitions, with the O’s having netted one more than their Midlands opponents with 57 in League One.

The home side missed a succession of chances as they struggled to make the breakthrough.

Cox was the first to bring a save out of Murphy with a low near post shot, and fired into the side netting later in the first half – a shot some Orient fans thought had snuck inside the near post.

Dagnall, who played six games on loan at the Midlands club earlier this season, missed the clearest first half opportunity, firing well over the bar from inside the penalty area when it looked easier to score.

Kevin Lisbie missed two decent chances with headers while Odubajo, who was a constant threat on the right, brought another save out of Murphy.

The match continued in the same vein after the break but Lisbie was denied by the visiting goalkeeper from close range as the elusive goal just would not come.

At the other end by contrast, Eldin Jakupovic was very much under-employed in the Orient goal.

He saved comfortably from a long range Carl Baker effort, and a nervous moment came when Franck Moussa charged down a clearance, and the goalkeeper nervously watched the ball go out for a corner.

Billy Davies fired just wide but there was not much to worry the on loan Hull City stopper.

Jakupovic did make an excellent save from the impressive Moussa, and it proved to be a crucial stop coming just moments before a crazy couple of minutes saw the O’s take a deserved lead.

Cox rendered Lisbie’s saved penalty irrelevant and the home side held on for a crucial three points – and they could even have extended their lead as Lloyd Jame, Mathieu Baudry and Cox missed decent chances.

And there were some late scares as Moussa and Baker brought late saves out of Jakupovic.

But top scorer Mooney came off the bench and scored almost instantly to clinch the victory with his 16th goal of the season - and it’s now six league games unbeaten for the in-form O’s.

The three points keeps them on the coattails of leaders Brentford, who beat Bristol City 3-1.

Orient: Jakupovic; Cuthbert (Sawyer 88), Baudry, Clarke, Omozusi; Odubajo, James, Vincelot, Cox (Ness 75); Dagnall, Lisbie (Mooney 77). Substitutes: Larkins, Bartley, Loza, Simpson.