Bromley 2-1 Leyton Orient: O’s Hayes Lane hoodoo strikes again as excellent Ravens edge ill-tempered affair

Leyton Orient’s Hayes Lane hoodoo continued as Bromley edged the National League pace-setters out during a feisty clash on Tuesday evening.

The Os, who were beaten 6-1 in this fixture last season, had taken the lead just before the interval through Josh Coulson.

But the hosts came flying out of the blocks after the restart and were level as Frankie Sutherland scored from the spot. Orient’s Marvin Ekpiteta was red-carded for the foul that led to the spot-kick and Bromley made the extra man count at Charlton loanee Reeco Hackett-Fairchild headed the winner home just after the hour-mark.

There was an ill-tempered edge to the game throughout but the hosts saw it out to put a dent in Orient’s title hopes.

The visitors, who are still on course to end their two-year spell outside the Football League, came close to breaking the deadlock as centre-half Dan Happe latched onto a loose ball from a corner, only for his drive at goal to be charged down.

The Ravens were on the back foot for long spells throughout the first-half but did show attacking intent when the chance arose. Hackett-Fairchild was the first in a white shirt to try his luck, only to see his shot from the edge of the area blocked.

The Os, unbeaten in their last six National League outings, were then denied by a goal-line clearance as Sam Wood hacked Josh Coulson’s header away, with Jay Simpson blazing over the target soon after.

Neil Smith’s side started to grow into the contest, with JJ Hooper firing just wide from Hackett-Fairchild’s lay-off – but they were dealt a hammer blow on the stroke of half-time.

David Gregory made a fine save in the Bromley goal as a corner was powered in his direction but Josh Coulson was first to react to prod him his third goal in his last four games.

Orient led at the interval but the scores were level two minutes after the restart. Ekpiteta was adjudged to have bundled over former O’s man George Porter, with the referee pointing to the spot and immediately reaching for the red card.

Sutherland made no mistake from 12-yards to bag his 10^thgoal of the campaign, nine of which have come from the spot.

Josh Coulson came close to restoring the visitors’ lead as he whistled a shot wide from outside the area, but it wouldn’t be long before Bromley made their man advantage count.

Frankie Raymond whipped in a perfect left-footed cross and Hackett-Fairchild directed a bullet-header beyond Dean Brill to bag the first goal of his temporary move from The Valley.

Table-toppers Orient had half-an-hour to find a reply but a determined rear-guard action, led by Jack Holland and Roger Johnson, kept them at bay.

Bromley’s lead may even have been widened as Richard Brindley took aim from 25 yards late on, only to see his curling strike rattle off the crossbar with Brill clutching at air.

A massive seven minutes of added time were shown and the Ravens, who conceded in added time to lose at Salford on Saturday, were nearly dealt a last-gasp blow once more as Macauley Bonne lifted over from James Brophy’s centre.

Raymond fired against the base of the post as the hosts looked to finish Justin Edinburgh’s side off once and for all but they had done enough to secure their second win in three league games on a famous night at a packed-out Hayes Lane.