LUCK, it is said, evens itself out over the course of a season.

And true enough, York City are at last starting to reap the benefits of a pre-Christmas dearth of good fortune.

There can be little doubt City's improved run of form of late - they have now lost just once in seven outings and celebrated their first back-to-back winning sequence with this 2-1 victory - has coincided with Lady Luck waltzing smack back into Minstermen lives.

After the intervention of the woodwork against Hartlepool and a bizarre own goal at Halifax another two significant charitable donations last night - the sort City were handing out like sweets before the turn of the year - underlines the point.

However, it can also be argued you make your own luck and make no mistake City, regardless of chance, were fully deserving of their win. But for some fine saves from Orient goalkeeper Scott Barrett City's victory could have been more comprehensive.

After a gritty if not always fluent first-half performance, City played some of their best football of recent times in the second.

And after suffering the cruel body-blow of a superb Orient equaliser that the home side had barely deserved City refused to wallow in self-pity.

They simply picked themselves up, dusted themselves down and grabbed the winner that their play had warranted.

The first indication that the tide of fortune has firmly switched to City's favour came as early as the 12th minute.

Billy Jones' sharp turn in the penalty area proved too quick for Graham Potter, who stuck out a boot to upend the Orient defender and concede a certain penalty.

Luckily for City, the experienced Steve Watts drove his spot-kick just inches wide of Alan Fettis's right-hand post.

Given the unfavourable conditions - swirling winds and constant rain - and the fact both sides are languishing at the wrong end of the basement, the teams at least made a decent fist of trying to play football.

In truth though, both flattered to deceive.

After some pass-happy approach play Orient were guilty of over-elaboration while City, having got into some decent positions, were too often let down by a poor final ball or a clumsy first touch at the critical moment.

The gale-force wind made defending difficult and added to the sense of anticipation but, Orient's penalty aside and a 30-yard blast from Peter Duffield that Barrett grabbed at the second attempt, genuine strikes on goal were at a premium.

City got the goal their grit and concentration deserved on 40 minutes with their first corner of the game.

Potter made light work of the heavy wind to whip in a deep centre. The Orient defence kindly disappeared and Peter Duffield, stooping as low as his boot laces, was able to head home.

It was the impish striker's third goal in five games since he returned to starting duty in the City attack.

Deep into first-half stoppage time, Orient finally forced a save from Fettis.

Watts' cross was met by the head of Wayne Gray firmly enough but it was still a comfortable head-high save for the City number one.

If the first-half had been a relatively even affair the second was pretty much all City.

Pass and move, pass and move - City dished out a dose of yellow fever to Orient, who looked a side incapable of stemming the relentless tide.

Lee Bullock struck a fierce volley past the meeting of post and bar, while Barrett was at full stretch to turn Lee Nogan's stinging shot around an upright.

Michael Proctor flashed a header up and over from a good position before forcing the best save yet from the Orient 'keeper, latching on to Duffield's delightful back heel and letting fly from 12 yards only for Barrett to somehow deflect the danger.

Having not had a sniff, it was quite literally a bolt out of the blue then that saw Orient restore parity on 77 minutes.

One-time City trialist Phil Hadland had barely had a touch following his arrival as a substitute but, picking up the ball out wide on the left, he raced forward and cut inside before unleashing an unstoppable rocket that flew into the top corner from 25 yards.

It could have knocked the stuffing from a despondent City but with their first real forward foray they regained the initiative thanks to a kindly Orient gift.

Carl Hutchings' pass back was woefully short for Barrett as the ever-alert Nogan closed in. The ball squirmed kindly into the path of substitute Alex Mathie, who had replaced Duffield. Mathie showed great composure to tuck the chance away.

The home fans, who'd suddenly found their voices after Hadland's intervention, were stunned to silence.

The City fans meanwhile let out a resounding rendition of "You'll never kill York City".

True words in every sense.

Fact file:

Leyton Orient

Scorer: Hadland 77min

Barrett, Harris, Smith, Partridge, Jones (Hadland 64m), Brazier, Hutchings, Martin, Canham (McLean 76m), Watts (Nugent 68m), Gray.

Subs, not used: Bayes, Barnard.

Bookings: Watts 22m (unsporting conduct), Hutchings 49m (foul)

Sent-off: none.

York City

Scorers: Duffield 40min, Mathie 43min

Fettis 7, Edmondson 7, Hocking 8, Basham 8, Parkin 8, Potter 7, Bullock 7, Wood 7, Nogan 7, Duffield 7 (Mathie 80m), Proctor 7

Subs, not used: Howarth, Maley, O'Kane, Smith.

Bookings: Wood 37m (foul), Proctor 59m (foul).

Sent-off: none.

Referee: Bill Jordan (Hertfordshire)

Attendance: 3,663

Updated: 11:31 Wednesday, February 20, 2002