Leyton Orient 1, Leeds 1

Three successive home matches provide Leeds United with an ideal opportunity to emerge from an indifferent spell of results and defy the chasing pack.

Only an own-goal by Charlie Daniels deep into stoppage time prevented defeat at Leyton Orient after Simon Grayson’s men had dominated the match for long spells.

It seemed Leeds were destined to return north empty-handed when Nicky Adams crossed from the left for Mamika Mkandawire to head Orient into an 83rd-minute lead they didn’t deserve.

However, justice was belatedly done. Leigh Bromby’s long throws are a useful ploy and when the Lond-oners failed to clear one of his efforts, Luciano Becc-hio’s miscued shot went in off Daniels’ boot.

Still without the injured Jermaine Beckford and Pat-rick Kisnorbo, United were much the better side against an Orient team unbeaten in their last five games.

Gary McSheffrey was esp-ecially impressive in the first half, his chip landing on the roof of the net with keeper Jamie Jones beaten.

Jones saved well from McSheffrey and Bromby but, for all their intricate football, Leeds just couldn’t find the target until Daniels gave them a helping hand.

United now trail leaders Norwich by four points but have two games in hand and successive home games against Walsall, Brighton and Oldham are the ideal chance to widen the gap on the chasing pack.

Grayson hopes Beckford will be back against Walsall tomorrow night.

The Leeds manager said: “I’m not sure if we missed Jermaine, but he is one of the top goal-scorers in the country so you are always going to miss that type of player. You would like to think he would have taken some of the chances we missed. I am disappointed that we didn’t take all three points because we were outstanding, especially in the first half.

“I don’t know how the score-line was nil-nil at half-time. We had so much possession, so many shots on target and so many crosses.

“We also limited Orient to very few opportunities. We controlled the majority of the game and ran the show. The goal at the end shows what these players are about. They’ve got the character and desire not to get beaten.”

Despite Leeds’ overwhelming superiority, Orient manager Geraint Williams bemoaned his team’s failure to hold on to their late lead. He said: “When you get so close to winning and then concede, it’s disappointing. We should have defended better and got the ball away from the danger area.”

Grayson denied rumours that defender Kisnorbo could miss the rest of the season with the injury that has caused him to miss the last four games.