Pompey boss Paul Cook told his players they had to do better after Leyton Orient inflicted their third League Two defeat of the season.

The East London side took a 3-1 lead after Pompey scored through an early own goal and although Gareth Evans gave the Blues hope by making it 3-2, the home side held on.

Cook told the Pompey website: 'We took the lead and looked in the ascendency, but we can’t afford to give away the goals that we did. And you’re always going to end up chasing the game when you’re down to 10 men. Whether it’s a red card or not, we’re not going to change it. The referee’s made the decision and that’s football.

'We carry a bit of pedigree about us in this division — and rightly so — because the support we get is amazing. So we have a duty to do things properly and that’s something we haven’t done for a while — we’ve conceded far too many goals away from home.

'Big credit to Orient because they’ve been on a bit of a patchy run and it’s a good win for them, but we have to be better than that.'

Pompey took a fourth-minute lead when Connor Essam deflected Kyle Bennett's inswinging cross past keeper Alex Cisak, with Evans getting a touch before the defender's crucial one.

It was the perfect start for Pompey but their afternoon took a turn for the worse on 23 minutes when Adam Webster was adjudged to have fouled Jobi McAnuff in the area after an overhit backpass by Danny Hollands. The referee sent Webster off and Jay Simpson put away the penalty.

Ten-man Pompey looked set to get to the break level but Ollie Palmer was left free to convert Cole Kpekwa's cross in the dying moments of the first half.

Orient were reduced to 10 men themselves early in the second half when Matthieu Baudry was sent off for an angry reaction to a Michael Doyle challenge.

But any momentum that might have given Pompey disappeared when they immediately conceded a third, Palmer again given too much space to meet Sean Clohessy's free-kick.

Evans made Orient sweat when he finished well past Cisak after a perfect through-ball by Bennett and suddenly the Blues fans had hopes of a draw.

There were chances at both ends in the final 20 minutes but neither side could finish them and Leyton Orient held on for three points few had expected them to take.

Now it's all eyes on Fratton Park and Monday's visit of Luton, when Pompey will need to shore things up at the back but with only one recognised centre-half available.

Pompey: Murphy; Davies, Webster, Clarke, Stevens; Hollands (Roberts 87), Doyle (c); Evans, McNulty (Barton 24), Bennett (Chaplin 87); Lavery. Subs not used: Bass, Close, Tollitt, McGurk

Referee: Graham Horwood

Attendance: 5,848 (1,316 Pompey fans)

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