Last updated on .From the section Football

Dean Cox and David Mooney earned Leyton Orient a deserved victory against Coventry to further boost their automatic promotion prospects.

Kevin Lisbie saw his penalty saved by Coventry keeper Joe Murphy following Andy Webster's foul on Chris Dagnall.

But Cox soon made it 1-0 with a shot on the turn from 12 yards after Coventry failed to clear a long throw in.

Coventry suffered their third defeat this season at Brisbane Road.

After an 3-2 extra-time League Cup defeat by Russell Slade's side in August, they then lost 4-2 in a Johnstone's Paint Trophy penalty shootout following a goalless draw in October.

Mooney sealed it when his shot from 20 yards was spilled by Murphy, who watched the ball roll into the net.

Coventry's 18-goal top scorer Leon Clarke, who has been the subject of two bids from League One rivals Wolves, missed the game with a foot injury sustained in Friday night's FA Cup fourth round defeat at Arsenal.

With Clarke's strike partner Callum Wilson still sidelined through injury, that allowed a debut for 16-year-old Sky Blues striker George Thomas.

VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Sky Blues manager Steven Pressley told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:

"Young George Thomas acquitted himself very well. Make no mistake, he will be a star for this club in the future. But we're asking a lot of a boy of his age.

"Because of the Callum Wilson injury and the Leon Clarke situation, and his failure to support this group just now, we find ourselves with no real strikers in the building.

"We kept going, created some good chances and their keeper made a number of saves. But, when we haven't got Callum's pace we lose the ability to stretch teams.

"And credit to Leyton Orient. They're a really hard-working side and I hope for Russell Slade they are one of the sides that go up. They are an example to everybody about how to build a football club."