Leyton Orient 2, Wycombe 0.

BRAVE Wanderers were relegated back to League Two as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at Leyton Orient in a game they had to win.

They were sentenced to the drop by Ryan Jarvis 78th minute goal – made by former Wanderer Scott McGleish – and then McGleish himself rammed in an injury time winner as he got in front of Craig Woodman.

McGleish scored the winner for the Os in October in a defeat that cost the then Wycombe Wanderers boss Peter Taylor his job and now his pass and killer goal have condemned them to relegation after just a year in League One.

He turned the ball forward in typical McGleish style for Jarvis to run on to and break Blues hearts.

That goal came against the run of play at a time when Wanderers had got on top and the home defence was creaking.

And then in the fourth minute of stoppage time, with Blues knowing they were down, McGleish rubbed salt into the wounds with the home side's second, which all but keeps them safe.

After taking 10 points from the previous 12 it was finally game up for the Blues who if they had chucked everything into the first three quarters of the season like thay have done the last segment would not have been in this position.

It wasn't today that they lost it but earlier in the season when they let leads slip and failed to perform to the standards they finished with.

It was hugely tough on Gary Waddock who came so close to turning it round with his 11 January signings and unfailing optimism which only died with a penultimate day knockout.

The stakes could not have been higher before the kick off. Wanderers needed two wins to have a hope of survival while Orient knew one win would do it for them.

Waddock stuck with the side that has produced three wins and a draw in their last four matches for the crunch clash.

And the Blues were backed by an army of vociferous fans who made the short journey to East London.

They got into the ground early and their pre-match singing must have been a real boost to the Blues in their hour of need.

At Easter, they were as good as down as they sat nine points adrift of safety but since then they have shown title-esque form and they needed to maintain it for two more cup finals.

The best of the early chances went Orient's way with Woodman clearing off the line from McGleish as a John Spicer corner caused havoc in the Blues box.

McGleish's goal for the Os at Adams Park in October cost Peter Taylor his job as Wycombe manager and Blues fans had every right to be nervous every time the ball found him in and around the box.

The game was more open than Waddock would have wanted with the Os quick to serve notice that this day wasn't just all about Wycombe.

Orient were shuffling the ball around nicely and when Ryan Jarvis slipped in Adam Chambers with just the keeper to beat, Blues needed a magnificent Lewis Hunt goal-saving sliding tackle to stay afloat.

The Os kept the pressure on though with the long throws of Eric Lichaj as good as a corner for the Londoners.

Wycombe were looking increasingly nervous as the opening had not followed the script they were hoping for.

But Kevin Betsy looked a threat and as long as Wycombe could feed him the ball they knew they could shift the emphasis of the game.

Betsy was wreaking havoc and Ben Chorley almost turned one of his dangerous crosses into his own net.

Orient's own desire for a win kept them pushing and McGleish was just a hair away from connecting with a diving header as he tried to re-direct Sean Thornton's wayward shot into his net.

Tempers flared on 28 minutes when Chorley and Blues Alex Revell squared up to each other after the Orient man accused the striker of diving in the box.

It produced a loud Wycombe appeal but the referee was having none of it.

He did give Wycombe a free kick just outside the box moments later for handball and Gareth Ainsworth's effort was deflected agonisingly wide off the arm of McGleish.

It led to a flurry of corners and Ainsworth close range effort was blocked on the back post as Wycombe mounted their first spell of sustained pressire.

Betsy was everywhere and it was from another move started by him that Ainsworth stole in front of his marker only to prod his header over the bar.

Betsy was doing the work of three players as he battled to avoid the ignominy of being relegated twice in one season with Southend, where he started the season, already down.

The only guarantee was that the tension of the first half was going to increase in the second 45 minutes.

McGleish cleared a dangerous Woodman free kick away from beneath his own bar under the challenge of Betsy before Chambers fluffed a good opportunity for the hosts.

Wycombe began to crank up the pressure as they knew they had to.

Revell went so close with a header before Waddock went even more attacking with Matt Phillips a 55th minute introduction for Lewis Montrose.

Orient were coming under increasing pressure as Wycombe upped the urgency. Ainsworth was becoming a greater influence and the traffic was all moving towards the home goal.

And only a world-class save from Jamie Jones prevented Matt Phillips from giving the Blues a 68th minute lead.

The Wycombe sub redirected a wayward Woodman effort but somehow, right on his line, Jones got down and pushed the ball out for a corner.

It was a heart-breaker for Blues abd Waddock rolled the dice again swapping Pittman for Beavon as the Os were now kicking the ball anywhere to relieve the pressure.

With the rain beating down players were slipping everywhere adding to the drama for everyone of the 1,100 Wandeers fans in the near 6,000 gathering.

Having done nothing in an attacking sense all half Orient were almost gifted an opener when Chris Westwood was just a cigarette paper away from deflecting McGleish's deft flick into his own net.

But it had to be that man McGleish who had a hand in the Os goal on 78 minutes.

He fed the ball on to Ryan Jarvis who finished with aplomb.

Wycombe responded by taking off centre half Westwood and replacing him with Matt Harrold as they searched the two goals they needed to keep their season alive.

This time there was no recovery, no injury time climax just a painful twist of the knife by McGleish in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

He raced in front of Woodman to bash home a low cross to ensure that somehow even though he left Wanderers last year after a public fallout with Taylor – he would still have a huge say in Blues history.

The game was up, the season was up and so was Blues' mini-adventure in League One mixing it with the big boys of Leeds, Charlton and Southampton.

Orient: Jones, Chorley, Mkandawire, Chambers, McGleish, Thornton, Daniels, Jarvis, Spicer, Smith, Lichaj. Subs: Morris, Purches, Ashworth, Demetriou, Baker, Scowcroft, Patulea.

Wycombe: Heaton, Hunt, Woodman, Bloomfield, Revell, Pittman, Montrose, Mousinho, Westwood, Betsy, Ainsworth. Not used: Oliver, Keates, Harrold, Arnold, Phillips, Beavon, McLeod.