Leyton Orient let a two-goal lead slip in the closing minutes of their clash with Colchester to end up with just a point.

And that leaves them six points clear at the top of the League Two table, after Stevenage could only draw 0-0 at Carlisle.

Paul Smyth returned to the starting line-up, along with George Moncur, as Jordan Brown was named on the bench.

And O's made a positive start despite tricky conditions in the rain, before Tom Hopper fired a first-time effort wide for the visitors on 11 minutes.

Hopper was booked for a late challenge on Tom James, before the home side were awarded a penalty on 32 minutes when Smyth was fouled in the box.

George Moncur made no mistake from the spot, with Colchester seeing Ben Garner booked shortly before the interval.

Smyth sent a looping header over the crossbar in first-half stoppage time as it remained 1-0 at the break.

Colchester made a bright start to the second half, but Aaron Drinan then set Ruel Sotiriou away on 50 minutes, only to be wrestled off the ball.

Ed Turns was booked for holding back a visiting player on the break, while Smyth saw his low cross taken away from Drinan on the hour.

The visitors wasted a good chance moments later, with Alex Newby unable to find an unmarked teammate in the middle, and O's doubled their lead when Sotiriou burst into the box and provided a superb low finish.

Colchester halved the deficit with a minute left in  normal time as Connor Hall glanced a header in from a corner and then snatched an equaliser in stoppage time when Noah Chilvers rifled a shot into the top corner.

O's might have grabbed a last-gasp winner but Drinan's header was cleared off the line and the Irishman then saw an effort from the corner deflected behind.

Leyton Orient: Vigouroux, James, Smyth (Thompson 70), Sotiriou (Kelman 80), Moncur (Sadlier 75), El Mizouni (Clay 75), Drinan, Pratley, Beckles, Sweeney, Turns.

Unused subs: Byrne, Ogie, Brown, Kelman.