BEMUSED Terry Dolan chose his words carefully after a controversial penalty denied York City three points at Leyton Orient.

The Minstermen were 1-0 up thanks to Lee Nogan's spectacular 24th minute opener when referee Lee Cable adjudged Orient midfielder Billy Beall had been upended in the City box.

Carl Griffiths smashed the resultant penalty home and thereafter the game was littered by stoppages, fouls and bookings as City were forced to settle for a hard-earned point that stretched their unbeaten run to nine games.

Speaking after the game, City chief Dolan could barely contain his disbelief.

"The diplomatic thing for me to say was the game didn't flow as a result of some strange decisions," he said.

"He (Beall) went between Chris Brass and Nick Richardson and our players were adamant the referee said no when their lad screamed for a penalty.

"He said no again and then gave it."

The City manager instead chose to focus on the positives, adding: "I would rather talk about the decent point we got.

"I am delighted because Leyton Orient are a decent team.

"I was a bit disappointed with our back three because Chris Tate and Carl Griffiths caused us some problems, more than teams have done recently, and in that respect it was an excellent point."

The City manager admitted his side had enjoyed enough chances to have been in the lead at half-time regardless of Orient's equaliser from the penalty spot but conceded the second-half was largely forgettable.

"In the first-half I thought we had the best chances. Nick Richardson had a header go wide, Lee Nogan has got a goal out of the blue and Graham Potter has got in down the left and blazed over, Richard Cooper has got in down the right and blazed over.

"So I thought we could have been more than one in front.

"The game never got going in the second-half, it never flowed. It was a scrappy game for reasons I've said."

GOALGETTER Lee Nogan admits he would happily swap strikes for points after helping York City stretch their unbeaten run to nine games with a 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient.

Nogan grabbed his second goal in successive matches - his fourth in ten City appearances - with a spectacular 30-yard effort to give the Minstermen a 24th minute lead.

Orient hit back thanks to a controversial penalty but Nogan admitted City were satisfied with a point.

"I am well pleased, I have got a few goals but more importantly the team is unbeaten in nine now and we are still picking up points," he told the Evening Press.

"It wasn't a particularly a good performance. We had to dig deep and hold out for a result.

"And I don't like to slag them off but I don't think the officials helped the game to flow.

"There were some dodgy decisions but we got a point and I think if you'd said two away games at Cheltenham and Leyton Orient and two points you would have been happy."

Nogan admitted his goal had an element of good fortune.

"It is how it goes, you go on a run and things happen for you.

"It was my only really chance and fortunately it has gone in the back of the net. Usually, they go out of the stadium.

"The ball just bounced well and I thought I would hit it across because I knew I was at angle and it dipped in. I was well pleased with it."

Updated: 09:21 Monday, March 26, 2001