SWINDON Town drew 1-1 with in-form Leyton Orient at the County Ground on Tuesday night.

Swindon opened the scoring in the fourth minute through Harry McKirdy, but Orient responded just three minutes later via Paul Smyth’s tap in.

A third League Two draw of the season means Swindon are still without a win, but they continue to improve after going toe-to-toe with an Orient team which conceded for the first time on Tuesday.

Scott Lindsey made one change to the side that drew 1-1 with Carlisle United on Saturday. Mathieu Baudry dropped to the bench to be replaced by Tom Clayton, who was handed his first professional league start after a particularly impressive appearance in the League Cup against Walsall a week ago.

Richie Wellens named two former Swindon men in his XI. Lawrence Vigouroux started in goal, while Rob Hunt was named at left-back after turning down the option of a new contract at the County Ground just a matter of weeks ago.

Orient’s Theo Archibald drove a shot on target in the early stages, but it was Town who found the net through McKirdy in the fourth minute. Saidou Khan won the ball back in midfield and immediately set Jacob Wakeling through down the right of centre. The youngster looked up and squared it to McKirdy, who bundled it over the line under pressure from Omar Beckles.

However, just three minutes after Swindon went in front, Orient pulled back level. Wellens' men zipped the ball through the lines and Archibald picked it up on the right. He ran at Frazer Blake-Tracy before cutting back onto his left and picking out Smyth on the left corner of the six-yard box. He touched past a Town defender and Sol Brynn into the net to make it 1-1.

Smyth went close following a superb run 10 minutes later, and Brynn had to be alert to deny Idris El Mizouni with his legs after the Ipswich Town loanee had nodded on target from an Archibald cross.

El Mizouni, Smyth, and Swindon-born George Moncur all produced further shots for the visitors, but they were all off target or no problem at all for Town’s stopper.

The only highlight – from a Swindon point of view – prior to the half-time whistle came via the boot of Ben Gladwin. McKirdy received a direct pass out to him, and he took a touch before darting infield and finding Gladwin in the centre.

Gladwin shifted the ball back onto his right and whipped a powerful effort goalwards, but it flew a yard wide of Vigouroux's left-hand post as he dived across.

Town began the second half on the front foot, and McKirdy tested Vigouroux with a low drive after cutting in from the left.

It was Swindon’s scorer at the forefront of a handful more attacking moves too. Around the hour mark, a last-ditch interception from Shad Ogie prevented McKirdy creating a one-on-one chance, and minutes after that the striker sliced off target.

Up the other end, MacDonald almost poked into his own net following an Orient counter-attack but Brynn was alert to catch the ball at his near post. The Swindon stopper then turned away Moncur’s low curling effort.

Moncur was desperate to score, but his quest for a goal continued to come up short. Trying to catch Brynn out from a tight-angled free-kick, the effort from Moncur was powerful but still no match for Swindon’s goalkeeper.

With less than 15 minutes remaining, Town’s goalkeeper performed heroics to deny Orient snatching a winner not once, but twice, with his feet. A goalmouth scramble somehow saw the ball deflected wide on the third attempt, but Swindon lived to fight another day.

The final 10 minutes plus added time saw a curious lack of chances for either side, and both clubs had to walk away from an entertaining affair with a point apiece once referee Rob Lewis decided substitute Tomi Adeloye was not deserving of a 95th-minute penalty following a clash with Ogie.

STFC starting XI: Brynn, Hutton, Clayton, Reed, Gladwin, Williams, McKirdy, Blake-Tracy, MacDonald (c), Khan, Wakeling.

STFC substitutes: Ward, Baudry, Adeloye, Darcy, Aguiar, Harries, Shade.

LOFC starting XI: Vigouroux, James, Ogie, Smyth, Archibald, Moncur, El Mizouni, Pratley, Beckles, Kelman, Hunt.

LOFC substitutes: Sargeant, Happe, Thompson, Smith, Sotiriou, Brown, Sweeney.

Attendance: 8,524 (412)

Referee: Robert Lewis.