Morecambe 0-1 Leyton Orient
MORECAMBE suffered their first defeat in five games as a fluke goal from Jack Payne gave Orient victory in the first ever meeting between the two sides.
Payne scored on 29 minutes with a freak ricochet when his block from Ryan Edwards's attempted clearance rebounded goalwards and flew past the helpless Barry Roche from the edge of the area.
It proved to be the decisive moment of a game that saw few clear cut chances.
The Shrimps, who were without the injured Shaun Miller started well and Ryan Edwards headed an early corner wide.
Jamie Devitt then headed a decent opportunity wide after an excellent cross from Tom Barkhuizen
John Marquis picked up a booking in the 24th minute when his enthusiasm got the better of him and he caught Shaun Beeley late.
Five minutes later and Orient had their best shot on target and it would give them the lead, but in fortuitous circumstances.
Payne beat his marker and tried to pass to his team mate, but the ball got intercepted and Edwards attempted clearance was charged down by the Orient midfielder and flew past Barry Roche in the Morecambe goal and into the net.
It was his first goal for the club and a minute later and Payne tried his luck from range, but it was easily saved.
Kevin Ellison had an effort at the other end – Cisak comfortably gathered, however, and it remained 1-0 to the away side.
The O’s pushed to extend their lead and broke smartly seven minutes before the interval after Palmer won the ball off the home defence.
He passed out to Bradley Pritchard and his cross looped over Roche, but hit the crossbar and bounced over.
The Shrimps got the second period underway and should have equalised immediately as Paul Mullin cut inside Connor Essam but he curled a poor effort wide of the left hand post.
Orient might have doubled their lead in the 49th minute, though, when Palmer won Pritchard’s centre, but Simpson, at full stretch, toe poked wide at the far post.
It was inches anyway from giving the east Londoners a two goal lead and Morecambe appeared to use that to their advantage.
They once again put the away goal under pressure, but couldn’t fashion a decent opener and it was Hendon’s men that had the next chance.
Pritchard fed Simpson, he rolled his marker well, but curled his shot wide from just outside the area.
Once again Morecambe hit back and a Devitt corner was won by Alan Goddall, his header went over and it remained 1-0 to the O’s with an hour played.
With 25 minutes left the Shrimps began to bombard the Orient goal.
Devitt drilled an effort wide from the edge of the box and Aaron Wildig, a second half substitute, tested Cisak for one of the first times in the game when he let fly from range.
Wildig was starting to become influential and his cross was narrowly missed by Barkhuizen.
The pressure was mounting now and Cisak made a stunning low save from Barkhuizen before O’s captain Mathieu Baudry appeared to handle the ball, but Morecambe’s penalty appears were waved away and the visitors held on for their first away win since beating Newport County on August 22.
Morecambe: Roche, Beeley, McGowan, Kenyon (Kelleher 81), Edwards, Devitt, Barkhuizen, Ellison, Mullin (Molyneux 68), Goodall (Wildig 59), Parrish.
Unused substitutes: Thompson, Bondswell, Bailey.
Leyton Orient: Cisak, Clohessy, Baudry, Essam, Chicksen, Payne, Pritchard, Moore, Marquis (James 63), Simpson (Turgott 87), Palmer.
Unused substitutes: Grainger, Shaw, Dunne, Kashket, Moncur.
Attendance: 2,105 (398 Away)