RELEGATION jumped a whole lot closer to Walsall last night after they were beaten by well-drilled Leyton Orient while other League One strugglers picked up vital points elsewhere.

In front of the lowest league crowd of the season at The Banks’s Stadium – 3,019 – luck certainly did not favour the Saddlers.

They hit post and bar in a first half which they edged territorially only to trail at the break to a 43rd-minute header from Tottenham loanee Harry Kane.

But that goal owed a bit to poor defending. And when more of the same followed 11 minutes after half-time to allow Jonathan Tehoue to double the lead, Walsall had to score more goals in 34 minutes than in the previous six hours to salvage the match.

It was beyond them – and news that Bristol Rovers, Plymouth and Dagenham had all won brought into sharp focus the deep trouble Walsall are still in despite the revival under Dean Smith.

The Saddlers were forced into a change in defence with Darryl Westlake returning for Aaron Lescott who suffered knee ligament damage at Swindon last Saturday and will be out for six weeks.

Westlake rejoined a backline in search of its fourth successive clean sheet but the O’s kicked off unbeaten in 11 league games and brimming with confidence.

Kane soon sent a near-post flick just wide but the Saddlers were inches from a 19th-minute lead – three times.

Matt Richards’ 20-yarder was parried by Jamie Jones, Julian Gray fired the rebound against a post and Emmanuel Ledesma sent the second rebound inches wide.