When danger man Alexander powered

 When danger man Alexander powered a header two yards wide in the 63rd minute, Alan Curbishley had seen enough and made a triple substitution, a radical move with half an hour to play.

 

The three players replaced – Kishishev, Shaun Bartlett and Brian Hughes were all cheered off with approval by the disgruntled home fans but luckily the gamble paid off as the three attacking replacements Alexi Smertin, Jerome Thomas and Jay Bothroyd all caused Orient problems and turned the match in Charlton’s favour.

 

While Bothroyd went up front to partner Bent, Thomas weaved his magic on the left wing with a display of feints, stopovers and shuffles that sold a showroom of dummies to the Orient right back Justin Miller while Smertin pitched camp in the hole just outside the Orient box as an irritant who would not go away.

 

Three minutes after his entry, Thomas proved his worth by turning inside Miller and Daryl McMahon and hitting the side netting. Then he drew a one handed save from Garner in the 72nd after collecting a lay off in the box from fellow sub Bothroyd.

 

Seconds earlier Bent looked to have won a penalty when hauled down by the backtracking Gabriel Zakuani but referee Alan Wiley ignored the appeals.

 

Orient had been forced to take second billing again,play bazaar though roared back in the 77th when Keith picked out McMahon with a diagonal pass that the midfielder headed powerfully, but straight at Myhre.

 

The closing minutes were dominated by Charlton, Bothroyd, Bent and a deflection from his own player Michael Simpson all testing Garner and Ambrose seeing a goalbound shot blocked by Zakuani with a minute and half left on the clock.

 

The referee’s assistant had just replaced his board signaling three minutes added on when Charlton won a free kick in a dangerous position twenty yards from goal.

 

Matt Holland tapped the ball sideways to Bothroyd who let fly with a grasscutter that appeared to take a slight deflection as it bounced off Garner’s prone body and into the roof of the net.

 

It seemed harsh on Orient to have conceded only seconds from a money-spinning replay at Brisbane Road, but Premiership class, with a helping of lady luck, told in the end.

 

Post match, Addicks boss Alan Curbishley seemed relieved to have won through to the 5th Round of the Cup although paid tribute to his plucky visitors.

 

“It was a great game and Orient played fantastically well. I did not want another game so I am pleased to be through,” he told reporters.

 

Admitting his triple substitution was a gamble that paid off he added, “It nearly backfired on me because Matty Holland then took a knock.”

 

Opposite number Martin Ling felt the pain of a near miss after a gallant effort.

 

“It is heartbreaking,” he confessed after the match. “I do not like being a glorious loser but over two Premiership ties we will take a lot of credit.”

 

The East Londoners sit in fifth spot in League Two, four points behind leaders Wycombe and three divisions below their 3rd Round victims Fulham and conquerors Charlton. The Addicks, currently eleventh in the Premiership, resume their league campaign at home to 16th placed West Brom at the Valley on Tuesday night.