IAN BOOTH’S perseverance in teaching son Andy to kick with his left foot paid dividends as the retiring striker chalked up the goal every Town fan was willing him to score.

The 35-year-old’s father last week told the Examiner how being able to use both feet was the one footballing tip he drilled home when the natural right footer was a youngster.

And as Andy played his 452nd and final game for his hometown club – Saturday’s 1-1 season-ending draw with Leyton Orient in East London – it was the left which forced home goal number 150 for Town, and the 184th of his 610-match club career.

Booth defied his operation-scarred back and creaking knees to run through unchallenged and steer the ball round Jamie Jones’ lunge to poke the ball past the Orient keeper, who was left exposed after a weak back header by midfielder Jimmy Smith.

There were 23 minutes and 56 seconds on the clock as Booth – pursued by his teammates – raced towards the 1,191 Town fans, who had a great view of the goal, to lap up the deserved acclaim.

Even some Orient supporters, all of who later gave the Town man a standing ovation when he was replaced by Lionel Ainsworth in the 80th minute, applauded and few in the ground can have been more excited than Booth’s own son Harrison.

The six-year-old was present for the entire trip to the capital, with manager Lee Clark explaining: “We wanted him to see his Dad play one more time, and he didn’t let him down.”

It was just a shame that Town, having bossed the first half, lost their way in the second and allowed Orient to equalise through Dean Morgan’s simple 65th-minute tap-in past Simon Eastwood, who was making his debut in place of the injured Alex Smithies.

However, at least the 19-year-old England junior international couldn’t be blamed for a goal created by full-back Charlie Daniels’ well-placed pass and on-loan Chelsea player Smith’s great run down the left and unselfish square ball to the scorer.

Other than a flurry of three successive corners near the end of the first half, Orient hardly had a sniff before the turnaround.

They almost gifted Town a goal in the fourth minute, when on-loan West Ham centre-back Jordan Spence’s misplaced back header left keeper Jones grasping thin air and rolled just inches wide.

And Booth had the ball in the net from Robbie Williams’ eighth-minute cross, only for referee Andy Woolmer to rule he had fouled Jones.

Booth headed off target in the 20th minute, and Anthony Pilkington, back from a groin strain, had a low shot saved in the 21st, before Booth’s goal.

Then, on 35 minutes, the lively Pilkington had a goalbound effort blocked by centre-back Tamika Mkandawire, with Williams heading over from the resultant corner.

Pilkington was just wide when another corner, this time in the 41st minute, was only partially cleared, but a half-time pep talk seemed to lift the home side, who looked far sharper in the second period.

Eastwood saved from midfielder Jason Demetriou before foiling striker Scott McGleish.

Then, in the 52nd minute, former Doncaster midfielder Sean Thornton shot wide after a good run.

At the other end, Clarke headed wide from Williams’ corner before fans had the rare sight of a goalkeeper being treated for cramp (Eastwood is sure to have had some ribbing on the journey home!).

Home forward Wayne Gray drove wide and Town’s Tom Clarke had a shot blocked by Mkandawire before Orient levelled.

An both sides had chances to win it, Town through Ainsworth and Orient through Thornton, Daniels and McGleish, before another League I campaign came to an end, with Town in ninth place, their best finish since making the play-offs three years ago.

Click here to see action shots of Town's game at Brisbane Road.