Beckles sees red as Leyton Orient suffer rare loss at Northampton

A Ben Fox goal proved the difference between the sides at Sixfields, with O’s having Omar Beckles sent off in stoppage time as nearest rivals Stevenage beat Gillingham.

Young loan striker Jayden Wareham came into the starting line-up, with Aaron Drinan and Ruel Sotiriou missing out with illness.

And the visitors saw Idris El Mizouni fire wide in the second minute after a neat passing move.

Dan Happe’s superb crossfield pass began a dangerous move that ended with Theo Archibald testing Lee Burge from the edge of the box on five minutes.

And when Happe met a corner at the far post moments later and Darren Pratley was denied, Jordan Brown fired over the crossbar.

Happe made a vital block at the other end to deflect Kieron Bowie’s effort behind, but picked up an injury in the process and had to be replaced by Shad Ogie soon after.

Burge tipped Pratley’s volley over on 26 minutes, but Mitch Pinnock then spooned a chance over when Josh Eppiah’s low shot fell into his path.

And Lawrence Vigouroux was equal to another effort from Leicester City loanee Eppiah just before the interval as the scoreline remained blank.

Archibald had the first notable chance of the second half, driving goalwards and seeing a powerful shot deflected behind on 50 minutes.

But O’s fell behind moments later as Fox fired home after Vigouroux had produced a stunning save to deny Sam Hoskins from close range.

Fox was shown a yellow card for a foul on Charlie Kelman some 30 yards out just before the hour mark and O’s thought they had levelled when Beckles fired home a rebound from the free-kick.

But referee Christopher Pollard ruled it out for offside after consulting his assistant and O’s head coach Richie Wellens was booked soon after.

Hoskins fired a free-kick straight into Orient’s defensive wall before Pratley made way for George Moncur and Archibald skewed a half-volley wide of the target when a long throw was cleared to the Scot.

A promising attack broke down when Tom James was unable to find Archibald, while El Mizouni was then hauled back by Bowie, with both players receiving yellow cards.

And O’s had penalty shouts waved away when Wareham claimed he had been dragged down in the box as he looked to meet Ogie’s flick-on in the last minute of normal time.

Beckles was booked for a foul on the edge of the Northampton box as tempers began to boil over but then, after a lengthy debate between Pollard and his assistant, was shown a red card for violent conduct to leave O’s down to 10 men.

And the visitors were unable to find a last-gasp equaliser as they failed to hit the target for a third successive match ahead of a weekend meeting with play-off hopefuls Doncaster Rovers at Brisbane Road.

Leyton Orient: Vigouroux, James, Happe (Ogie 19), Archibald, Brown, Wareham, El Mizouni, Pratley (Moncur 70), Beckles, Kelman, Hunt (Duke-McKenna 78). Unused subs: Sargeant, Ogie, Thompson, Clay, Sweeney.

Attendance: 7,475.