NOTTS County's long unbeaten run in League One at Meadow Lane was ended by Leyton Orient today.

The Magpies had not lost in eight home league games before facing Orient, but they were beaten 2-1.

They gifted the visitors both of their goals, in truth, before Lee Hughes scored a late goal to inspire hope of a fight-back.

Notts then almost rescued a draw in injury time, but Orient goalkeeper Lee Butcher saved Jeff Hughes' penalty.

The Magpies were significantly boosted by the return of their best striker Lee Hughes from a calf injury and captain Neal Bishop also started the game, despite suffering a foot injury only seven days earlier in a league encounter at Yeovil Town.

Defender Krystian Pearce was conspicuously missing, however, so Mike Edwards and Sam Sodje were paired together in central defence.

Striker Ben Burgess was also not in the Magpies' squad, so Karl Hawley partnered Hughes in attack.

It was Hawley who got the first sight of goal too, on six minutes. Lee Hughes controlled a cross and laid the ball back into his path, but he hit a shot well over the crossbar from 20 yards.

Notts threatened for a second time only a minute later. Alan Sheehan swung a free-kick into the Orient penalty area and Bishop headed the ball over the bar.

They so then nearly scored on ten minutes, but Alan Judge was once again denied by the woodwork.

The former Republic of Ireland U21 international hit the crossbar in the Magpies' 1-0 defeat at Yeovil and did so again against Orient with another superb strike from 30 yards, frustratingly.

Notts were undeterred and Jeff Hughes, their leading scorer, tested Butcher with a low left-footed strike from the edge of the box on 16 minutes.

The Magpies endured a setback only a minute later, however, when Gavin Mahon was forced off with an injury and was replaced by Charlie Allen.

Notts continued to dominate possession, following Mahon's unfortunate exit, but they were still almost undone on 33 minutes when the ball was played into their penalty area for Kevin Lisbie. Fortunately, his control was poor and Magpies' goalkeeper Stuart Nelson claimed the ball comfortably in the end.

Notts did gift Orient an opening goal before the end of the first half, however, when Jeff Hughes was dispossessed by Stephen Dawson inside the Magpies' half and the visitors' captain promptly strode forward unchallenged and hit a shot past Nelson and inside his left-hand post on 44 minutes.

There was still time for a moment of controversy before half-time, as Leon McSweeney, already booked for a foul on Sheehan, fouled Judge and yet somehow escaped a second caution.

Trailing 1-0, the Magpies began the second half determined to equalise and Judge curled a free-kick into the box that Lee Hughes headed towards goal, but Butcher made a comfortable save.

Hawley then directed an effort over the bar on 53 minutes and Jimmy Smith also hit a shot over the crossbar for Orient only a minute later, before Lee Hughes seized onto the ball inside the box and drove a low right-footed shot at goal that Butcher held on 55 minutes.

Notts threatened again five minutes later. Nelson launched a long goal-kick forward and Hawley flicked it on to Lee Hughes, who turned past his marker and swept into the box, but Butcher saved his powerful low shot.

They kept up the pressure on Orient and, on 72 minutes, Judge crossed the ball into the box from the left wing and Sodje met it with a powerful downward header, but the visitors scrambled it away for a corner.

The Magpies then almost scored from the flag-kick. Judge swung the ball into the box and once again Sodje met it with a header, but it was cleared off the goal-line. The rebound fell to Lee Hughes, but he hit Butcher's right-hand post.

Lee Hughes was looking the biggest threat for Notts, typically, and he was claiming a penalty on 78 minutes. It looked like he was tripped inside the box as he turned past Dawson, but referee Andy Haines waved away his protests.

Despite being on top, Notts conceded a second goal on 85 minutes – and it was yet another gift.

Edwards miscontrolled a clearance straight to substitute David Mooney and he strode into the Magpies' box. Sodje got back to deny him, but the rebound fell to another substitute, Jonathan Tehoue, and he beat Nelson from close range.

At 2-0, the game looked all over, but Notts hit back a minute later. Edwards played a long ball forward and Jeff Hughes flicked it into the path of Lee Hughes, who drove a right-footed shot unerringly past Butcher and inside his left-hand post.

It gave the Magpies hope as the game went into injury time and they were then awarded a penalty on 92 minutes when Jeff Hughes was brought down in the box by McSweeney, who was subsequently dismissed.

Jeff Hughes stepped up to take the spot kick, but Butcher dived to his right and made a good save to deny him and Notts a draw.

NOTTS: Nelson, Kelly (Demontagnac, 77), Sodje, Edwards, Sheehan, Judge, Mahon (Allen, 17), Bishop, J Hughes, Hawley, L Hughes. Subs: Mitchell, Hollis, Bencherif.

ORIENT: Butcher, McSweeney, Cuthbert, Forbes, Craig, Smith, Dawson, Spring, Cook (Porter, 77), Lisbie (Tehoue, 84), Cureton (Mooney, 66). Subs: Laird, Lobjoit.

ATTENDANCE: 5,830 (469 away).