Leyton Orient climbed back up to second place in the National League with a narrow 3-2 away win at Barrow last night.

Goals from Sam Ling, Jay Simpson and Jordan Maguire-Drew had the O’s in a commanding position with 20 minutes to go, but two late goals for the hosts through Josh Kay and Rhys Turner made for a nervy finish at Holker Street.

Justin Edinburgh made no changes to the side that had beaten Havant & Waterlooville on the road at the weekend, sticking with the 3-5-2 formation that saw them take the points.

Moments after Dan Happe had prevented a goal at one end, Orient bagged the first of the game at the other as Ling opened his account for the club when his cross-shot left Joel Dixon rooted to the spot, and it dipped into the corner.

Less than two minutes after half-time, the O’s notched their second when Maguire-Drew collected Joe Widdowson’s pass, and he unselfishly squared it for Simpson to round the keeper and slot in the first goal of his return.

Maguire-Drew then finally got the goal his performance deserved as Macauley Bonne squared it across the box for him to slam home his second in as many games.

Barrow threatened a comeback late on though, first scoring through Kay’s deflected effort before Turner tapped in to reduce the deficit to one.

Despite more late pressure, Orient held on to secure back-to-back away victories that take them to within two points of Wrexham before their showdown with the league leaders this Saturday.

After the game, Edinburgh said to the club’s website: “From being three goals ahead and in control of the game, with just a bit of erratic defending and not remaining calm and composed, we could’ve ended up drawing the game, which would have been a travesty really because we should have been out of sight.”

Edinburgh named an unchanged 11 from the weekend, which saw Ling and deployed as a wing-back, and the boss believes that he is showing his versatility in a different role.

He said: “He’s suited to the role, I really believe he’s taken to it very well along with Joe. I liked what I saw in some of the phases and he was worthy of the goal.

“I thought we had a really bright start in the second half, the second and third goals were worked really well.”

Maguire-Drew put in another stellar performance following on from the games against Brackley Town and Havant & Waterlooville, and Edinburgh thinks they are seeing the rewards of slowly bedding him into the team.

He said: “We need people, when they come into the team, to hit the ground running and play a part, and he’s certainly done that over the last two games with goals and assists.

“It’s what we brought him to the club for and we’ll start to see that more regularly and for longer periods as he gets fitter.”

The O’s could return to the top of the table this weekend when they host current leaders Wrexham in a 12.35pm kick-off at the Breyer Group Stadium.