Carlisle 2 - 2 Leyton Orient: Danny Grainger preserves Carlisle's unbeaten league record

Posted Sunday, September 11, 2016 by PA

A Danny Grainger penalty four minutes from time enabled Carlisle to salvage a 2-2 draw against Leyton Orient and preserve the Cumbrians' record as the last unbeaten team in League Two.

Orient twice led through goals from Paul McCallum and Harry Cornick with substitute Charlie Wyke scoring Carlisle's first just after the break.

Carlisle just had the edge in first-half possession, without seriously troubling Alex Cisak, although the goalkeeper was comprehensively beaten in the 30th minute when a Nicky Adams curler from the edge of the box bounced clear off the right-hand post.

Gavin Massey was posing problems for Carlisle down the right, but when he set up a chance for Liam Kelly the shot did not match the winger's creativity.

However, Orient were not to be denied and took the lead a minute before the break when Jordan Bowery played a neat ball through to McCallum who coolly slid a shot low past Mark Gillespie from 12 yards for his fifth goal of the season.

Within a minute of the restart Carlisle's half-time changes, which saw Wyke and Reggie Lambe on for Mark Ellis and Jamie Devitt, paid dividends when Sean Miller squeezed a cross over from the right and Wyke was on hand six yards out to force the ball home.

Orient regained the lead in the 64th minute when Cornick, the on-loan Bournemouth forward, twisted and turned inside the area to work himself a shooting chance before drilling a low right-foot drive into the bottom corner.

The visitors looked set for the victory until Kelly was penalised for handling Lambe's cross in the area and Grainger thumped home the resulting 86th-minute penalty.