Jody Morris really pleased after Swindon Town draw with Leyton Orient

O’s captain Omar Beckles headed Richie Wellens’ men in front during the 13th minute before Town substitute Jacob Wakeling calmly finished off a lightning counter-attack midway through the second half.

Orient wanted a penalty in the dying seconds for a foul on Paul Smyth, but referee Sam Barrott waved the protests away and Swindon held on for a point.

Post-match, Morris was delighted his makeshift back line of Harrison Minturn, Joe Tomlinson, and Reece Devine – all of whom were starting for the first time all season – managed to grind out a positive result.

He said: “I’m really pleased for the players given the shift they put in.

“Looking at three players in a back five who are making their first league starts of the season, for them to come in and be part of such a good away point was really pleasing.

“We said to the players before, I know it’s a bit of a makeshift team, and we haven’t been able to work on anything at all because we didn’t know who was available.

“But the fact they took on information and tried to replicate that was great.”

MATCH REPORT: Wakeling helps Town dig out point against League Two leaders.

While Town largely dealt with the barrage of aerial balls into their box from long throws and corners, Orient’s goal arrived after Beckles was allowed to attack Kieran Sadlier’s unmarked.

Morris stated there could be no excuses from his players for such poor defending.

He said: “We gave ourselves a bit of an uphill battle with a really poor goal to concede.

“You can talk all you want about players who haven’t played a lot, but defending set-pieces at whichever level you play at is pivotal for you to improve as a team. We didn’t do that, and people didn’t do their jobs.

“For us to give a good team like Leyton Orient a gift was really disappointing, but I felt there was still lots to be happy with.”