Leyton Orient got their first points on the board in the Leasing.com Trophy group stages with a 2-0 win over League One strugglers Southend United.

Dan Happe opened the scoring early on for the O’s, who had to wait until the 90th minute for the second when Dale Gorman curled in from the edge of the box.

Ross Embleton made a number of changes to the side that draw with Salford City at the weekend. In a new shape of 4-2-3-1, Sam Sargeant replaced Dean Brill in goal, George Marsh made his debut alongside Gorman as the holding midfielders, James Alabi slotted in on the right and teenager Shadrach Ogie came in at left-back.

It took just six minutes for the opening goal to arrive and it went the way of the hosts. After a corner routine broke down, Gorman played a drilled ball out to Jordan Maguire-Drew on the right who delivered a deep cross to the back post, and Happe got up above his marker to head past Mark Oxley in the Southend goal.

It was almost two in an instant as Alabi bore down on a weak backpass, but after heading beyond Oxley, who took out the striker in the process, and the covering Harry Lennon was extremely lucky to see his sliced clearance bounce back off the post rather than go into the net.

After such a frantic opening, the game died down slightly and became much more of a midfield battle, but one that Orient were winning for large parts of the game.

Sargeant was rarely troubled in the home goal but when he was called upon, he did well to save a powerful effort with his feet at the near post, and down the right-wing the visitors were being constantly frustrated by a stellar performance from young Ogie, who was winning all of his battles and playing with enormous confidence.

Southend came into the game much more towards the end of the half and threatened to make the game level before the break. Isaac Hutchinson drilled high and wide on the first occasion before coming much closer with a second effort that whistled just wide of the post.

However, it was to be Hutchinson that made the game an uphill task for the League One side when he was given a straight red card for pushing Gorman to the floor after a strong challenge from the midfielder.

The second half began with neither of the sides really forcing the issue, although it was Orient who came the closest to hitting the next goal.

Gorman’s free-kick found Harrold who headed down into the ground and with Alabi on the stretch to divert it in at the far post, the ball bounced off the woodwork, hit Alabi and bounced into the grateful hands of Oxley.

A decent spell of pressure from Southend followed, but they weren’t able to make it count. Debutant Marsh did well to get in the way of a powerful effort and another resulting effort was easily dealt with by Sargeant.

However, on the cusp of full-time, Orient wrapped up the points when Angol played into Alabi who set up Gorman, and the midfielder swept a beautiful curling strike into the far corner to make the game safe.

The win gets the O’s off the mark in the Leasing.com Trophy, while their next match comes against Swindon Town in the league this Saturday.

Orient team: Sargeant; Judd, Ekpiteta, Happe, Ogie; Gorman, Marsh; Alabi, Maguire-Drew, Dennis; Harrold

Subs: Janata, Ling, Clay, Wilkinson, Angol, Shabani, Sweeney