Leyton Orient 0 Tranmere Rovers 1 ANY hopes Orient had of a money-spinning run in the FA Cup disappeared on Tuesday night when they were sent crashing out of the competition in front of just 1,518 fans, WRITES TREVOR DAVIES. The fact that so few paying c

Leyton Orient 0 Tranmere Rovers 1

ANY hopes Orient had of a money-spinning run in the FA Cup disappeared on Tuesday night when they were sent crashing out of the competition in front of just 1,518 fans, WRITES TREVOR DAVIES.

The fact that so few paying customers bothered to turn up will be a big worry for the club's hierarchy.

And the fact that Orient failed to beat struggling Tranmere will concern boss Geraint Williams as his side are now out of all the cup competitions and are just one place above the drop zone. It looks like being a long, hard winter.

O's dominated the game in terms of possession, but struggled to break down their stubborn visitors and paid the price eight minutes from time.

Jason Demetriou conceded a needless free-kick as O's were pushing forward and when Shaleum Logan fired the ball into the box, it bobbled around before Ash Taylor drilled home from a tight angle.

It was a smash and grab raid and the few fans that had chosen to turn up booed the home side off the pitch at the end.

Williams understood the fans frustration and admitted: "I don't blame them for being unhappy at the end. No-one's happy when you are losing."

For all Orient's possession, chances were few and far between.

The home side had a good spell just before half time when Scott McGleish saw an effort saved by Luke Daniels, Tamika Mkandawire Sean Thornton went close, but O's never worked up a real head of steam.

Tranmere's first goal attempt did not arrive until three minutes after the break when Paul McLaren shot wide and it took them 69 minutes before they won their first corner, as they were happy to frustrate the home side.

Substitute Ryan Jarvis, who replaced JJ Melligan, almost broke the deadlock on 68 minutes, with Orient's best effort of the second half.

Demetriou raced down the left and when his cross was not cleared it fell invitingly for Jarvis, who watched in horror as keeper Daniels somehow clawed his fierce effort away.

After Taylor bagged the all-important goal, Williams threw Adrian Patulea on in place of skipper Stephen Purches and went three at the back and it almost worked.

His jinking run ended with James Scowcroft having a shot blocked and with the ball bouncing around Thornton headed home, only for the effort to be ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper.

Orient's last chance had gone, as had their FA Cup dream for another season and on a night when Williams insisted there were some positives, they were hard to find.

The O's boss now has to find a gameplan to overcome Tranmere when the two sides meet in a crucial league encounter on Saturday.

"This game has gone, we're out of the FA Cup and there is nothing we can do about that now," said Williams. "We have got the same opposition on Saturday and we have got to find a way to break them down and go on and win the game."

"It's a results business and we're out of the cup, that's what's disappointing."

Orient: Morris 6, Purches 6 (Patulea 85), Chorley 6, Mkandawire 6, Daniels 7, Melligan 6 (Jarvis 64), Chambers 7, Thornton 6, Demetriou 6, McGleish 7, Scowcroft 6. Subs not used: Jones, Ashworth, Cave-Brown, Pires, Smith.

Attendance: 1,518 (inc 145 Tranmere fans).