Darrell Clarke admitted it had been a frustrating afternoon for the visitors after his Cheltenham side suffered a 3-1 defeat at Leyton Orient to leave them two points from safety in the Sky Bet League One relegation zone.

Ethan Galbraith and Ollie O’Neill left the visitors chasing the game with first-half goals before Orient’s leading scorer Ruel Sotiriou ended his nine-match barren run with a superb strike late on.

Substitute Joe Nuttall reduced the deficit with a goal in the final minute of stoppage time but Clarke was left to ponder the uphill struggle ahead if his team are to avoid the drop.

“We started the game quite well, particularly in the first 20 minutes, but then we conceded two goals from outside the box that really we could have done better by getting closer at the edge of the box and blocking the shots,” Clarke said.

“I was frustrated at half-time and looking for solutions to the problems we had in the first half and try to get the next goal because the game is not over at 2-0. I think if we had taken our chances and got that next goal, we would have kicked on. It’s all ifs, buts and maybes and now we have to go again.

“Probably the last two or three games have been 45-minute performances and we need to start putting 90-minute performances together.

“I’ve just said to the players, ‘we’re still in this race’, we kept going to the end and I believe there is enough in there to keep us in this division, albeit not on today’s showing.

“I will make sure I get the right answers for the team but we will have to perform better than we did today.”

O’s boss Richie Wellens saw his side collect maximum points at home for the first time in four matches.

“We missed the easier chances today with a couple of one-on-ones and could have scored a few more goals but we also scored three excellent finishes,” he said.

“I thought the keeper should have saved Galbraith’s goal but O’Neill’s goal was good and so was Sotiriou’s. I wasn’t happy with him to be honest because he was a bit sulky and his reactions weren’t great but I know he has a goal in him.

“That game should have been more comfortable than it was but we lacked discipline and gave opportunities away. They could have scored four goals today. I was disappointed we conceded to the one at the end because we wanted the clean sheet.

“This is the first game we’ve played when we can’t achieve anything but we respect the league and the teams fighting, so we played a strong team as well as given Zech Obiero a start at 18 years old, so overall it was a good day.”

Boss Richie Wellens likened Ruel Sotiriou to former Manchester United super-sub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after Leyton Orient’s thrilling 4-3 win over Northampton.

The Os had suffered their first defeat in nine matches against Barnsley on Saturday but immediately returned to winning ways in this absorbing encounter.

Wellens, back in the technical area after serving a three-match ban, watched Orient take the lead on three separate occasions through Ollie O’Neill, Shaq Forde and Sotiriou only for Marc Leonard, Kieron Bowie and Tyreece Simpson to cancel out each goal.

But the defining strike came from substitute Sotiriou, who took his league tally for the season into double figures with his second of the night and the winner deep into added time.

“I love Ruel Sotirou when he comes on as a sub and whilst he doesn’t like it, he really does remind me of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he comes off the bench,” said Wellens. “He smells areas and he’s a brilliant sub.

“It was a brilliant night and a brilliant performance – full of young, exciting, talented players, full of energy, and it would have been a travesty had we not won it.

“Northampton can be a threat as we saw but we dominated the game. We had 19 shots and they had three and every one of theirs went in.

“At times we ran Northampton ragged. Our rotations were fantastic. We got our full-backs to push on and they changed to a (midfield) diamond but we kept going and for me I thought we were really dominant throughout.

“We’ve played Northampton several times in my tenure and every game has been tough. For me their team is a symbol which represents their manager, Jon Brady. Loads of energy and never give up.”

Brady was frustrated after his side’s repeated fightbacks came to nothing.

“I’m more disappointed to concede the number of goals we did after we fought hard to come back the way we did. To come away with nothing is disappointing,” he said.

“We were really stretched today so to show the character and spirit the way we did and not give up and keep coming back was a really strong part of our game today but we needed to see it out.

“We have a lot of inconsistencies with injuries but it is what it is. To score three goals away from home and come away with nothing is really hard to take.

“I thought first half we looked jaded but second half we came out after just scoring before half-time but I expected us to close it out. I expect us to be better than that.

“We could have won 4-3 at the end and another occasion Mitch Pinnock scores and that breaks them, but unfortunately we were the ones today who felt that sucker punch.”

Leyton Orient recorded a hard-fought home victory over Shrewsbury with a solitary goal from Ruel Sotiriou separating the two sides.

There was a lively and positive start to the game with five corners within the opening eight minutes, the first in favour of the visitors within 16 seconds of the start.

The Shrews squandered a golden opportunity after four minutes when Max Mata was sent clear but saw his shot blocked by the outstretched foot of O’s goalkeeper Sol Brynn.

But O’s striker Sotiriou showed the way after 20 minutes when he slammed a shot into the roof of the net for his fourth goal of the season after Idris El Mizouni fashioned the opportunity.

The second period lacked quality with the visitors, who had not scored in their previous four league matches, showing their profligacy in front of goal with Brynn denying Ryan Bowman and Tom Flanagan.

At the opposite end, Sotiriou and Ethan Galbraith missed good opportunities to put the issue beyond all doubt for the hosts.

Leyton Orient came from behind to record a deserved 2-1 win at League One leaders Exeter, with Ruel Sotiriou firing home a stoppage-time winner.

Orient started well, with Omar Beckles striking the crossbar inside the first seven minutes and then Sotiriou side-footed wide from six yards when an Exeter clearance fell right at his feet.

Idris El Mizouni forced Grecians keeper Gary Woods into a smart save as Exeter, missing several players through injury and international duty, failed to assert themselves.

However, the home side broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion in the 49th minute when 16-year-old debutant Jake Richards lobbed the ball forwards and Demi Mitchell allowed it to bounce before lashing a stunning 20-yard half volley over the head of Sol Bryan which went in off the underside of the crossbar.

Orient  levelled six minutes later, though, as Joe Pigott was allowed to chest down a cross and fire a shot into the bottom corner from 10 yards.

Os defender Brandon Cooper forced Woods into a flying save with a shot from 20 yards, while Mitchell headed a good chance wide for Exeter.

But, Orient won it two minutes into stoppage time when Sotiriou was afforded too much space 25 yards out and his low shot flew past Woods into the bottom corner.