SUBSTITUTE Jacob Wakeling scored a second-half equaliser as Swindon Town drew 1-1 away at League Two leaders, Leyton Orient on Saturday.

A heavily-depleted Swindon side travelled to the capital low on expectation but high on confidence following two wins in a row.

However, the Robins were given an early reality check when Orient skipper Omar Beckles headed the home team into the lead inside the first quarter of an hour.

Town showed admirable resilience to make it through to half-time at just a goal down, and they stole a point just after the hour mark when Wakeling maintained his composure to slot past former Swindon stopper, Lawrence Vigouroux.

Hearts were in mouths during second-half stoppage time as Orient cried out for a penalty, but nothing was given and Swindon stayed 11th in the table.

The much-anticipated team news did not disappoint ahead of kick-off, with four changes from the win over Harrogate Town. Ellis Iandolo and Ciaran Brennan missed out through injury while Jake Cain was not in the squad due to tonsillitis. Wakeling dropped to the bench.

In their place, Joe Tomlinson made his first start since re-joining at left centre-back while Reece Devine played left wing-back in what was only his second start in all competitions this season. Harrison Minturn made the first League Two start of his professional career, and Dylan Kadji returned in midfield.

Leyton Orient named only one former Swindon player in their starting XI – Vigouroux. Rob Hunt was out with a hamstring injury, while Jordan Lyden was not in the squad due to selection.

In front of a boisterous crowd at Brisbane Road, Town saw off a degree of early pressure from Orient before generating the first on-target effort of the game through Devine. He burrowed past a couple of red shirts but couldn’t find a way past Vigouroux with a low shot on the angle.

But just a couple of minutes later, the hosts were ahead in such simple circumstances. Kieran Sadlier’s right-wing corner was drilled to the edge of the six-yard box, and an unmarked Beckles escaped the attention of Kadji before planting his header over Brynn in the centre of the goal.

Williams was kept out comfortably by Vigouroux as Town attempted to respond, and up the other end, Charlie Kelman was denied by Brynn with a near-post effort heading in.

Midway through the first half, Swindon almost found an equaliser when Tom Clayton clipped a cute ball out to Charlie Austin on the left edge of the box. The Town striker dinked a cross to the back post with his left, but Rushian Hepburn-Murphy was reaching for the ball and volleyed a couple of yards wide.

After the first half petered out with no more notable chances for either side, Orient almost doubled their lead in the first few minutes after the restart. The hosts’ ninth corner of the game fell to defender Ed Turns 10 yards out, but the Brighton and Hove Albion loanee skewed his effort wide.

Swindon stuck in the game for the next 15 minutes, fending off a handful of Orient attacks, before snatching an equaliser through substitute Wakeling – sent on after Devine’s afternoon was cut short through injury.

During the first dangerous attack from the visitors of the second half, a perfectly-timed through ball from Rushian Hepburn-Murphy inside Tom James saw Wakeling race through and calmly slip the shot to Vigouroux's right.

Orient responded with a couple of talented reinforcements – George Moncur and Paul Smyth – but it was centre-back Turns who was on the end of a couple of good chances. The first he headed over from eight yards out, while the second was steered just wide from an overhead kick.

A barrage of late long throws and corner kicks came into Swindon’s box, but the closest Orient came prior to added time was when Moncur curled narrowly wide following a short corner.

The home side probably should have been given the chance to win it in the final seconds when Remeao Hutton looked to have pushed down Smyth in the area, but referee Sam Barrott waved the protests away and Town survived.

LOFC starting XI: Vigouroux, James, Clay, Sotiriou, Archibald, El Mizouni, Beckles, Kelman, Sweeney, Sadler, Turns.

LOFC substitutes: Byrne, Ogie, Thompson, Smyth, Moncur, Drinan, Pratley.

STFC starting XI: Brynn, Hutton, Minturn, Clayton, Tomlinson, Devine, McEachran, Kadji, Williams, Hepburn-Murphy, Austin (c).

STFC substitutes: Copland, Adeloye, Darcy, Jephcott, Aguiar, Wakeling, Shade.

Referee: Sam Barrott

Attendance: 8,623 (1,250)