Goals in either half from strike duo Dion Charles, who netted his 50th Wanderers goal, and Victor Adeboyejo handed Bolton Wanderers an opening day win in Sky Bet League One.
Ian Evatt's side made the trip to the Capital on Saturday evening looking to kickstart their season in positive fashion, and the Whites boss handing league debuts to both Scott Arfield and Szabolcs Schön at the Gaughan Group Stadium.
Wanderers settled quickly into the game, and were threatening inside the opening ten minutes as they looked to get off to a fast start.
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A lovely move down the left between Schön and Collins allowed the latter to get in-behind the Orient defence. Aaron's ball across goal was teasing but no Wanderers man was there to turn home.
The warning signs were handed to the hosts, and on the 8th minute the early pressure was made to count.
Schön, impressing early-on down Wanderers' left in front of the travelling support, clipped a lovely lofted ball into the path of Aaron Collins. Aaron's chested pass was perfect into Charles' path to hit first time with his left foot from the edge of the area and found the back of the net via Hemming's left-hand post.
The goal only enhanced Wanderers' dominance in the opening twenty minutes and Dion Charles looked to let fly again from outside the area after a free-kick was only half cleared but his effort this time flew over the bar.
A chance for Collins almost came gift-wrapped courtesy of Orient defender Sean Clare as he tried to play a square ball across his own area. Aaron intercepted the pass, but his control was slightly off allowing the covering defenders to scramble back and eventually clear.
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The first half continued with Ian Evatt’s side on top and it was down their left where they were finding all the joy. A nearly moment was fashioned for the Whites when Jack Iredale played a ball in-behind, that Schön chased down in an all-action first half from the Hungarian international, but Hemming was quick off his line to deny Szabolcs from getting his shot away.
Richie Wellens’ side were inches away from levelling it up, however, with their first real effort on Wanderers’ goal. Zech Obiero cut in from the left and let fly from 25 yards but the strike cannoned back off Nathan Baxter’s crossbar and away from danger.
That Orient chance spurred Wanderers back into action, and two huge tackles from Schön and then Scott Arfield set them on the counter. Aaron Collins burst into space and looked to play in the overlapping wing-back to set up a real goalscoring opportunity but Beckles made a vital intervention to deny him.
Wanderers were made to pay for it shortly after as the home side drew level through Kelman. A long diagonal ball was pin-point to beat the Whites’ back-line and put the forward through with his first touch, beating Baxter by finding the bottom corner.
The goal buoyed Orient, and they looked to add another before the break as a well worked corner put Kelman into space. The American hit a drilled effort from the angle but his arrowing strike was always rising and away from Baxter’s goal as the side’s went in level at the break.
Wanderers looked to get themselves back on the front foot at the start of the second half but it was Orient who forged the first chance as Kelman tested the reactions of Baxter with a low effort but Wanderers’ keeper was down smartly to save and push away from onrushing Orient attackers.
Orient thought they had took the lead on the hour as a Obiero corner was met nicely by Jordan Brown 12 yards out, but Baxter reacted brilliantly to push the goal-bound effort over his bar.
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Wanderers responded well and after bringing on John McAtee for his Bolton debut, skipper Ricardo Almeida Santos met a Schön free-kick from the right. Hemming got a touch to the glancing header and it proved vital for Orient as it looped onto the roof of the net and away for a corner.
Kelman was proving a stern test for Wanderers’ backline and a threaded pass pushed the forward into the area, once again testing Baxter who was able to make the save with his feet as chances were now coming for both sides.
Wanderers’ debuts were given to Jordi Osei-Tutu and Jay Matete inside the final 20 minutes as McAtee did brilliantly to work a chance out of nothing. Robbing Beckles of the ball when he looked to be seeing the ball out of play, the forward squared the ball nicely to find Charles in space but Dion couldn’t find the connection to capitalise.
But Wanderers and Evatt rolled the dice once more when introducing Klaidi Lolos and Victor Adeboyejo with 15 minutes to go, with the latter’s impact proving instant. Within seconds of coming onto the field, a Schön free-kick was fumbled by Hemming and into Adeboyejo’s path and he fired confidently into the roof of the net to send the away end wild.
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Wanderers regained control of the fixture following the goal and looked to seal victory with a third. Matete, who looked lively on his first Wanderers outing, went on a mazy run to beat two Orient defenders and find space to get his shot away but his effort was over Hemming's bar.
Seven minutes were added at the end of the 90 as Wanderers looked to see out the game but had to call upon Baxter to make a brilliant full-stretch save to his right to push the effort past his right-hand post with the ball looking destined to find the back of the net.
The Whites were able to see out the rest of the additional time and secure a win that sets up next weekend's fixture against Wrexham at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Orient: Hemming (GK), Sweeney (James 77’), Happe, Agyei (Perkins 72’), Brown, Beckles (C) (Cooper 85’), O'Neill, Galbraith (Pratley 85’), Kelman, Clare, Obiero (Jaiyesimi 85’)
Subs: Howes (GK), Warrington
Wanderers: Baxter (GK), Dacres-Cogley, Toal, Almeida Santos (C), Iredale (Osei-Tutu 70’), Schön, Sheehan (Matete 70’), Thomason, Arfield (McAtee 63’), Collins (Lolos 74’), Charles (Adeboyejo 74’)
Subs: Morley, Nlundulu
Attendance: 7,831 (1,200 away)