Leyton Orient suffered a slender loss on the last day of the League Two season at the Breyer Group Stadium.

A first-half goal against the run of play from Kane Hemmings earned Tranmere the points and left O's head coach Richie Wellens beaten for only the fourth time since taking charge.

Tom James made a bright start on the left for O's, after five months out with injury, to put some dangerous balls into the box in the opening minutes.

And Aaron Drinan was left to rue his first touch as he looked to connect with Connor Wood's superb ball into the box, before Paul Smyth fired over on the half volley.

Hector Kyprianou produced a goal-saving tackle to thwart Hemmings on the quarter-hour mark, with Darren Pratley seeing a header saved by Murphy and Drinan having a shot blocked.

The hosts should have opened the scoring midway through the half when James whipped an inviting cross into the box and Smyth headed over from eight yards.

And Theo Archibald saw a 25-yard effort drift just past the post, before James hit the upright with an arrowed 30-yard free-kick attempt on the half-hour mark.

Archibald had a shot saved by Murphy, after controlling a long pass from Lawrence Vigouroux, and O's fell behind on 37 minutes when Hemmings guided a header inside the near post against the run of play.

After a quiet start to the second half, O's sent Harry Smith on for James on 56 minutes but needed a key block by Adam Thompson to deny Hemmings.

Ruel Sotiriou and Alex Mitchell replaced Smyth and Pratley midway through the half, with Spearing firing just wide for the visitors on 70 minutes.

Connor Wood saw his effort deflected towards Omar Beckles, but the defender could not capitalise, and O's thought they had been awarded a penalty with a quarter of an hour remaining, but after consulting a linesman the referee went back on his original decision.

Sotiriou had a shot deflected behind with eight minutes left, as O's continued to push for an equaliser, and Mitchell prodded wide when Smith's header from Wood's corner fell to him in the box.

But it was not to be for the home side as they were left empty handed and finished the campaign in 13th place.

Leyton Orient: Vigouroux, James (Smith 56), Wood, Beckles, Thompson, Brown, Kyprianou, Pratley (Mitchell 67), Archibald, Drinan, Smyth (Sotiriou 67). Unused subs: Sargeant, Nkrumah, Obiero, Coleman.

Attendance: 6,623.