Ten-man AFC Fylde recorded a vital 2-1 victory away at Leyton Orient to end a run of five National League games without a win.

Two thunderbolts from top scorer Danny Rowe put the Coasters in control, before Jobi McAnuff pulled one back for the hosts midway through the second-half. 

Coasters midfielder Lewis Montrose saw red in the final stages however Fylde held on to claim a precious three points in the Capital. 

Manager Dave Challinor made three changes to the side that was beaten by Woking last time out with Tom McCready making his full debut whilst Jonny Smith and James Hardy were also drafted into the starting line-up.

Hitman Rowe was the first to chance his arm early on with a low drive that whistled narrowly wide of the upright. 

And it was the dangerous frontman that opened the scoring on the quarter-hour mark. Smith was tripped on the edge of the Orient area and Rowe powered home the resultant free-kick via a slight deflection. 

The goal sparked Orient into life and Fylde stopper Jay Lynch had to react quickly to keep out Craig Clay’s stinging strike from 18 yards.

Smith was wreaking havoc down the left and his cross almost provided the ammunition for Rowe to double his tally however the striker glanced his header wide. 

The home crowd were incensed when Coasters captain Andy Bond cynically tripped James Brophy when through on goal. The midfielder received a yellow card for his troubles and Jobi McAnuff wasted the promising free-kick, sending his attempted cross into the stands. 

Fylde survived a slight scare when James Drayton saw his effort blocked, only for the ball to fall to Clay who fired a strike that suffered a similar fate at the feet of Montrose.

The visitors made a double substitution at the break with Jack Muldoon and Jordan Richards replacing widemen Hardy and Smith.

Fylde flew out of the blocks and just three minutes in doubled their advantage in emphatic fashion. Rowe picked up the ball out on the left before cutting inside and launching a sensational strike that arrowed into the top corner from fully 30 yards. 

Orient midfielder Mark Ellis headed one narrowly over moments later as the shell-shocked hosts looked for an immediate response. 

The chances kept on coming for Challinor’s side as Simon Grand nodded just wide of the far post from McCready’s inswinging corner just short of the hour mark.

Macauley Bonne was proving a handful up top for Orient and should have done better with his header on the six yard line when picked out by Jake Caprice’s teasing cross.   

The forward went closer still with 20 minutes remaining when his flicked header at the near post flashed across the gaping goal before striking the opposite post and bouncing to safety. 

Moments later, the hosts reduced the deficit through former Premier League man McAnuff. Dayton’s floated cross from the left was taken off the head of Bonne by Jordan Tunnicliffe however McAnuff was lurking at the back post to nod the ball home beyond the clutches of Lynch.

Orient were frantically searching for the equaliser and thought they had it when Matt Harrold was picked out in the box however his header was clawed off the line at the last second by Lynch. 

Still on the hunt for a hat-trick, Rowe beat two men out on the right before seeing his left-footed strike blocked on its way to goal in the final moments.

The match was to end on a sour note for the Coasters when a loose touch from Muldoon forced Montrose into a desperate tackle and ultimately his second yellow card of the afternoon, swiftly followed by a flash of red from the referee’s pocket. 

Leyton Orient: Grainger, Caprice, Lawless (Boco 72), McAnuff, Bonne, Mooney (Harrold 54) , Clay, Happe, Brophy, Dayton, Ellis.

Subs not used: Sergeant, Sendles-White, Boco, Ochieng. 

AFC Fylde: Lynch, Burke, Tunnicliffe, Grand, Francis-Angol, Montrose, Bond, McCready (Jones 69), Smith (Richards 46), Hardy (Muldoon 46), Rowe.

Subs not used: Blinkhorn, Tasdemir, Jones.

Ref: Simon Barrow

Att: 4,537 (93)