Sky Bet League One: Oldham Athletic 1 Leyton Orient 1

Below-par Leyton Orient maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a hard-fought draw at Oldham Athletic.

The Boundary Park hosts had dominated for much of the game and deservedly took the lead through former O’s striker Charlie MacDonald after 35 minutes.

And Russell Slade’s side were fortunate not to be further behind, before they ensured a point when Kevin Lisbie’s shot was deflected past home goalkeeper Mark Oxley by substitute Shaun Batt.

Orient made one change from the team which drew 1-1 with Walsall last weekend as Marvin Bartley came in for the suspended Romain Vincelot, but it was the hosts who settled into their stride quicker.

Jamie Jones had to save well from James Dayton’s 20-yard shot, before Moses Odubajo fired just over at the other end.

But as the game wore on, Orient found themselves on the back foot and Jones was on hand again to keep the scores level after tipping Joseph Mills’ 30-yard free-kick over the bar on 20 minutes.

From the resulting corner the ball fell to MacDonald at the back post and he turned and shot against the post as Slade’s side survived once more.

MacDonald was the thorn in the O’s defence and he fluffed his lines again six minutes later after Jones could only parry Mills’ 25-yard shot.

Danny Philliskirk headed straight at Jones on the half-hour mark, but it proved to be third time lucky for MacDonald who put the hosts in front 10 minutes before the break as he chested the ball down in the box and fired high into the roof of the net.

It was only then did Orient start to play and a neat one-two between Odubajo and Dean Cox saw the former have a shot well pushed behind by Oxley.

And from the corner a goalmouth scramble ensued where Mathieu Baudry managed to get his head on the ball but somehow the effort was kept out.

Slade resisted the urge to make changes at the break, but Oldham again came out brightly and only a great last-ditch tackle from Odubajo denied Mills a goalscoring opportunity.

Jones was once again to the rescue for the visitors as he punched over Mills’ fierce inswinging free-kick from the right hand side.

Slade opted to bring on Batt and it proved to be an inspirational move as he launched an attack on 66 minutes.

Batt played in Lisbie, who fired goalwards, and the shot appeared to take a nick off Batt before nestling in the far corner of the net, as home appeals for offside fell on deaf ears.

The substitution kicked the visitors into life and a great through ball from Batt found Lisbie who saw his goalbound shot blocked, and then cleared for a throw.

Both sides pressed for a winner, but in the end had to settle for the point, and it was one Slade will be more than happy that Orient gained given the Latics’ dominance.

Oldham: Oxley, Grounds, Wesolowski, Kusunga, Tarkowski, Smith, MacDonald, Lanzoni (Winchester 13), Dayton (Montano 75), Mills, Philliskirk (Rooney 64).

Unused substitutes: Clarke-Harris, Rodgers, Millar, Rachubka.

Leyton Orient: Jones, Omozusi, Clarke, Baudry, Cuthbert, Cox (Batt 64), Bartley (Stockley 85), James, Odubajo, Lisbie, Mooney.

Unused substitutes: Sawyer, Larkins, Lee, Lasimant, Gorman.

Attendance: 4,062 (295 Leyton Orient fans).