Football: Orient edge through

Leyton Orient 2 Kingstonian 1

ORIENT'S RECENT record against non-League opposition in the FA Cup is a virtual guarantee against uneventful progress, and so it proved again last night.

With 17 minutes left on the clock, Orient were apparently cruising to a victory at the second attempt over the Conference side, but the fun was just about to begin. It was triggered by Chris MacKenzie, the home goalkeeper, who made a hash of handling a header to present the Kingstonian substitute, Gavin Holligan, with a tap-in.

Kingstonian piled on the pressure, but finished furious as well as frustrated when their goalkeeper, Steve Farrelly, was sent off three minutes from the end, dismissed by the referee, Mark Warren, for bringing down his namesake, the Orient substitute Mark Warren.

Orient, knocked out by non-League opponents in the last two campaigns, seemed to have overcome that particular gremlin in this replay when they took a two-goal lead thanks to wellconstructed efforts finished off by the Belgian, Wim Walschaerts, and the Frenchman, Amara Simba. But nothing is simple for the Os in the Cup and their jangled nerves will not be calmed by the thought of a trip to Southport in the third round.

Leyton Orient (3-5-2): MacKenzie; Hicks, Dean Smith, Clark; Joseph, Beall, Ling, Walschaerts, Lockwood; Simba (Maskell, 61), Inglethorpe (Warren, 87). Substitutes not used: Curran, Cannon, Griffiths.

Kingstonian (3-5-2): Farrelly; Stewart (Holligan, 57), Harris, Crossley; Mustafa, Rattray (Corbett, h-t), Pitcher, Patterson, Luckett; Leworthy (John, gk, 90), Akuamoah. Substitutes not used: Danny Smith, Brown.

Referee: M Warren (Walsall).