Depleted Peterborough United's struggles continued...and they lost another key man to injury

And they picked up another injury to a key player with skipper and full-back Carl Johnston limping off after half an hour.

Posh had played pretty well up to that point, but failed to take advantage of some promising positions. They conceded late in the first-half after referee Bobby Madley mysteriously awarded the home side a corner. The second goal late in the game arrived courtesy of a deflection, but to be fair Orient had been bossing the game for a while at that point.

Posh kept plugging away and a fine header from man of the match Jimmy-Jay Morgan five minutes from time gave them hope, but they didn’t threaten again until the very last minute when substitute Pemi Aderoju headed a very difficult chance over the crossbar.

Given the personnel missing it was far from a disastrous display, but it was also a performance that exposed shortcomings that aren’t going to go away in a hurry.

Posh sprang a selection surprise with David Kamara preferred to Aderoju at centre forward in place of top scorer Harry Leonard. It was a full first team debut for the 20 year-old.

Otherwise the starting XI that hardly impressed in the 1-1 draw at Cobblers last time took to the field again. Left-back Harley Mills was on the substitutes’ bench after recovering from a hamstring injury for his first squad selection since December 13. Aderoju joined him there. Johnston’s injury meant Mills was forced on earlier than Posh would have liked, but did well.

Posh started the game well. Morgan found pockets of space easily as did Kyrell Lisbie, but shots were either delayed or blocked, two of them in the first two minutes. Shots from Morgan and Lisbie also flew wide

Orient didn’t threaten for the first quarter apart from when David Okagbue gifted them possession, but Charlie Wellens delivered a weak shot.

The hosts inevitably improved though when League One’s top scorer Dom Ballard came alive. It was his skewed shot that flew over the crossbar that led to the opening goal in the 44th minute. Referee Madley saw it as a corner which surprised many people. The set-piece was initially punched clear by Posh ‘keeper Alex Bass, but it was returned low and hard and centre-back Jack Simpson converted from close range.

Morgan, who played a couple of delightful passes in the first-half, almost immediately sent Lisbie in on goal, but home ‘keeper Will Dennis was out quickly to boot clear.

Orient should have made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time when Wellens and Ballard combined to tee up Demetri Mitchell who made a real hash of a great chance.

Orient largely took charge after the break. They were allowed to constantly foul Morgan without the threat of a caution and three home substitutes made a big difference.

The hosts were gifted a chance to score a second goal when Peter Kioso’s back-header sent Ballard through on goal on 70 minutes, but Bass held him up and Mills raced back to make a terrific tackle.

They did score again on 83 minutes when a rapid break involving many players was finished by Bakinson albeit with the help of a deflection.

That should have been that, but Morgan headed home a free kick from Archie Collins two minutes later, but most of the rest of the game was played out in the Posh half.

It’s now five games without a win for Posh, although they didn’t fall any further down the table and the gap to the bottom four remained the same. Small consolations on a tough afternoon.

Posh: Alex Bass, Carl Johnston (sub Harley Mills, 29 mins), Peter Kioso, David Okagbue, James Dornelly, Archie Collins, Brandon Khela, Kyrell Lisbie, Declan Frith (sub Cian Hayes, 61 mins), Jimmy-Jay Morgan, David Kamara (sub Pemi Aderoju, 73 mins)..

Unused subs: Bastian Smith, George Nevett, Lucca Mendonca,Patryk Sykut.

Orient: Will Dennis, Tom James, James Morris, Jack Simpson, Ollie O’Neill, Kaelen Casey (sub Dan Happe, 61 mins), Azeem Abdulai (sub Idris El Mizouni, 79 mins), Dylan Levitt (sub, Tyreeq Bakinson, 61 mins) Charlie Wellens, Demetri Mitchell (sub Theo Archibald, 61 mins), Dom Ballard (sub Sonny Perkins, 90 mins).

Unused subs: Killian Cahill, Favour Fawunmi.

Posh goals: Morgan (85 mins)

Orient goals: Simpson (44 mins), Bakinson (83 mins).

Posh cautions: Frith (foul)

Orient cautions: Happe (foul), Archibald (aggressive attitude).

Referee: Bobby Madley 6.

Attendance: (To follow).