Lee Angol’s stoppage-time penalty rescued a point for Leyton Orient in a 1-1 draw against Grimsby Town, which was Ross Embleton’s first game as permanent head coach of the O’s.

Grimsby substitute Billy Clarke lobbed them into the lead with 16 minutes to go, but after Craig Clay was bundled over in the area a minute into stoppage time, Angol stepped up to smash into the top corner.

Josh Coulson, James Brophy and Conor Wilkinson returned to the Orient line-up in place of Myles Judd, Craig Clay and Ruel Sotiriou, and while new signing Lawrence Vigouroux was in attendance, he was unavailable to the squad as his international clearance had not come through.

Orient looked the more threatening team in the first half, particularly with the partnership of James Brophy and Jordan Maguire-Drew down the left-hand side.

Maguire-Drew had the first real effort of the game when the O’s were awarded a free-kick in a decent scoring position, but his curler was blocked by the wall and went out for a corner.

From the resulting delivery, Orient went even closer when Grimsby keeper James McKeown punched the delivery into his own defender, but the ball was hacked off the line just as it was about to trickle over in the corner.

Another strong Orient attack then saw Lee Angol go close, but he could only divert Maguire-Drew’s cross-shot over the bar after the winger had cut inside.

Grimsby started to come into the game more in last 15 minutes of the half. A few spells of pressure, though, brought about no reward, with Elliott Whitehouse’s scuffed shot and a saved cross from Luke Hendrie the best they could muster.

Orient had the final opportunity of the half when another teasing Maguire-Drew delivery was met by Angol, but he could only flick past the far post.

Grimsby’s intent for the second half was made clear within the first few minutes when Whitehouse should have done better from inside the area, instead dragging his shot wide.

Max Wright also came close for the Mariners in an improved second-half performance, but Orient were still having chances of their own.

Maguire-Drew should have done better with a half-volley inside the penalty area and Conor Wilkinson was denied by a stunning save from McKeown, who somehow got his foot to the striker’s downward header.

Ian Holloway’s side, though, had been much improved in the second period, and they took the lead on 74 minutes when a long ball over the top caught out the home defence, and substitute Billy Clarke lobbed a debut goal over the stranded Sargeant.

Orient’s push for an equaliser was being stifled by a lack of end product up front, with the final pass evading them on seemingly every occasion they went forward.

That was, though, until the first minute of stoppage time. A good spell of pressure saw Craig Clay burst into the box, and after he was shoved in the back, Lee Angol stepped up to smash the penalty into the top corner.

Despite late pressure from both sides, a winning goal was not forthcoming, and the points were shared in Ross Embleton’s first game as permanent head coach.

Next up for Orient is a trip to Port Vale next Saturday, kicking off at 3pm.

Orient line-up: Sargeant, Coulson, Wilkinson, Maguire-Drew, Happe, Brophy, Angol, Marsh, Turley, Kyprianou, Wright

Subs: Janata, Ekpiteta, Clay, Dayton, Judd, Harrold, Sotiriou