Adam Phillips snatches win for 10-man Barnsley FC with late double as Neill Collins hails 'pivotal moment'

Ruel Sotiriou’s 10th-minute goal looked to have secured Orient a big away win.

But Phillips equalised in the 88th minute and, after Tykes team-mate Luca Connell saw red, he bagged a winner five minutes into added time.

The visitors went ahead when George Moncur drove to the byline and cut the ball back to Sotiriou who applied the finish.

Barnsley dominated possession and chances for the rest of the game but could not find a way past the inspired visiting goalkeeper Sol Brynn.

But the resistance was ended when Mael De Gevigney launched a ball in behind the Orient defence and Phillips flicked a header over the onrushing Brynn.

Connell was shown a second yellow card as he protested to the referee that Orient were taking too long to restart the game.

But despite the numerical disadvantage, Phillips won it for his side when he connected with Corey O’Keefe’s free-kick from the right and turned it in for his second.

“It’s not the way we planned it,” said a relieved Barnsley manager Neill Collins.

“I thought losing an early goal is always an issue. But the players responded very well, as did the crowd.

“And together we just kept going right to the very end. And you could see at the end, even with 10 men, when everyone’s up it’s very difficult and I’m so pleased for everyone that we got what I think was a deserved winning goal.

“At the end there, it could be a really pivotal moment of the season. It was great to see the second goal go in.”

Collins added: “One thing that Adam Phillips generally doesn’t lack is quality. I think he’s been outstanding, getting better and better.

“He was fantastic in training this week and if I had to pick someone who I thought would score he’d have been really high up the list.

“Really brave for his first goal to go in ahead of the keeper when he could’ve got smashed and then the second goal was a great ball and great finish.”