ANDY HOLDSWORTH signed off with a double as Town closed a frustrating campaign with a convincing win.

Andy Ritchie's side, who played some neat, measured football to force a 3-0 half-time lead, weren't as dominant after the break.

They disappointingly conceded a 59th-minute goal, well taken by Jason Demetriou, but stood firm to snuff out any chance of a comeback by the East Londoners.

It's a shame Town couldn't chalk up a couple more goals - they had more than enough chances to have done so - but having netted seven in their two home matches under the new manager, supporters will hardly be complaining.

Ritchie once again went with a midfield diamond, with Holdsworth at the rear, the lively Michael Collins, who opened the scoring in the 11th minute, at the front and Jon Worthington and Mark Hudson either side.

At the end of a season in which Town's midfielders have too often failed to function as a unit, it was the grip exerted by these four which allowed control of Saturday's contest to be taken so firmly.

There's no certainty Ritchie will persevere with the system next season (he has said several times he intends to bring in two widemen this summer) but the boss certainly seems to see Holdsworth's future in the engine room rather than at right-back.

The 23-year-old had scored only three times in 172 appearances previously, yet against Orient put both away with aplomb.

The same can be said of Collins, who capped a lively opening to the game by sidefooting home his fourth goal of the season after Luke Beckett unselfishly stepped over Hudson's cross, the midfielder having been put into space by a nice pass from right-back Frank Sinclair.

Collins had another effort, this time from distance, held by keeper Glenn Morris in the 16th minute.

Then he sent a 24th-minute snap shot just wide after Worthington forced centre-back Brian Saah into a hasty header clear.

Town weren't to be denied, however, with goal number two arriving in the 26th minute, when Holdsworth glanced home yet another teasing Sinclair cross.

Ex-Orient man Gary Taylor-Fletcher, playing up front, had Morris scrambling to paw away a 34th-minute free-kick.

Then Beckett had the ball in the net after 37 minutes, running onto David Mirfin's looping upfield header to nod the ball over Morris, only to be adjudged to have fouled Adam Chambers in the process.

Joe Skarz produced a timely tackle to dispossess Gary Alexander as Orient attacked from the restart.

Then, on 44 minutes, the left-back picked out Worthington with a corner, only for the skipper to volley wide from outside the penalty area.

Orient might have got away with it on that occasion.

But a minute into time added on, they found themselves trailing by three after Holdsworth netted again.

This time the finish was with a crisp strike into Morris's right-hand corner from the edge of the area after good approach play by Skarz, Hudson and Collins, whose pressure prevented ex-Hull defender Alton Thelwell from clearing cleanly.

Town fans were hoping for more of the same in the second half, but Orient had taken advantage of their chance to regroup.

Town were still probing, with Beckett forcing yet another save from Morris in the 51st minute.

But Orient were looking more adventurous, and got their reward when Demetriou beat Hudson on the right and cut in to fire a curling left-footer beyond Matt Glennon.

With substitute Efe Echanomi causing a few problems, the visitors had a bright 10 minutes, with Town relieved when Thelwell's 62nd-minute shot was deflected wide.

But Ritchie's men were on top again during the closing stages, when Hudson and Skarz both tried their luck from distance and Beckett shot just over on the turn.

More of the same next season and Town will finish higher than 15th!