Stoppage-time strike denies Blades after red card for Daniels

“We’ve lost two points,” said the Blades chief. “Some of the decisions we made in the last few minutes were what caused the goal.

“It was a scrappy game in all honesty, we had the clearest chances in the first half in particular but it was just a scrap and we had to make sure we got something out of the game.”

Experienced striker Kevin Lisbie levelled for the hosts in the sixth minute of stoppage time after they had Charlie Daniels sent off for a rash 73rd-minute challenge on Lee Williamson, who had to be taken off.

Chris Porter had prodded home past Lee Butcher in the 85th minute after a goalmouth scramble but Orient equalised when goalkeeper Steve Simonsen punched Dean Cox’s free-kick to Lisbie, who lashed home.

The Blades enjoyed the greater share of possession before the break, Billy Clarke seeing a downward header bounce over the bar from close range, but their opponents had forged the better opportunities in that first period, Simonsen palming over a header from David Mooney, who also shot over from inside the area before going close in a goalmouth skirmish.

Mooney wasted another opportunity before Kevin McDonald tested Butcher after the interval.

Orient continued to press with a series of long balls being pumped towards Simonsen’s far post.

Evans went close with a long-range free-kick following a foul on Quinn before United finally broke the deadlock.

Marc Laird ghosted in between Maguire and Collins but headed wide in stoppage time before Lisbie took advantage of some more slack United defending.

Leyton Orient: Butcher, McSweeney, Cuthbert, Forbes, Daniels, Spring (Porter 86), Mooney (Omozusi 75), Dawson, Clarke (Laird 46), Cox, Lisbie. Unused substitutes: Lovelock, Cureton.

Sheffield United: Simonsen, Lowton, Maguire, Collins, Williams, Phillips (Williamson 70, Doyle 76), Montgomery, McDonald, Quinn, Porter, Clarke (Evans 57). Unused substitutes: Long, Jean-Francois.

Referee: O Langford (W Midlands).

Man of the match: Nick Montgomery.