Leyton Orient made it through to the final of the FA Trophy following a 2-1 win away at AFC Telford United to win the two-legged tie 3-1 on aggregate.

Matt Harrold gave Orient the lead before seeing red for an alleged elbow, which allowed Ellis Deeney to equalise on the day. However, Josh Coulson’s header late in the second half sealed the side’s passage to Wembley.

The O’s welcomed back Josh Koroma and Joe Widdowson to the starting 11, while Jamie Turley came in for the injured Sam Ling, who is set to miss three to four weeks.

It was the perfect start for the away side as well, who took the lead after only six minutes when a long punt forward was inadvertently headed over his own keeper by Ross White, and Matt Harrold raced through to finish into the empty net.

That goal doubled Orient’s lead on aggregate and they looked intent on increasing it further following Harrold’s opener. Turley headed well over from Jobi McAnuff’s corner before Koroma had two efforts blocked by the Telford defence.

The Bucks grew into the game and were creating some half-chances of their own, but Turley came the closest to adding the next goal when his looping header from a McAnuff corner clipped the top of the crossbar.

The game’s turning point arrived soon after that chance, and it was a big blow for the O’s as goal-scorer Harrold was shown a straight red card having been judged by referee Peter Wright to have elbowed Shane Sutton as they challenged for a header.

That goal completely changed the tide of the game and Telford started to look far more threatening, coming close when Dean Brill fumbled Amari Morgan-Smith’s effort behind for a corner and Sutton headed over from the resulting delivery.

The Telford pressure finally told in the 39th minute when, after Daniel Udoh struck the post, the ball was worked back out to Ellis Deeney who fired in from distance and beat Brill at his near post.

The closest Orient came in response before the break was an excellent volley from McAnuff outside the area, but Andy Wycherley was equal to it and tipped over.

Telford emerged from the half-time break with intent and they forged the first attack of the half, but James McQuilken couldn’t find the required finish and his shot was blocked by Ekpiteta, and the Bucks then came forward with Udoh after he was released by Morgan Smith’s pass, but his tame effort was easy for Brill.

Sutton then went close for the hosts when he got his head to a corner, but his downward effort was easily gathered by Brill.

It was the home side doing all the pressing in the second period, making the most of their numerical advantage, but the O’s carved out the next clear-cut chance when Craig Clay broke forward and laid it wide to substitute James Brophy, but his ball back inside was fired just wide of the target by the on-rushing Bonne.

That pressure that Orient were applying paid dividends soon after when they re-took the lead on the day and extended their aggregate advantage. McAnuff’s free-kick from the right was kept alive by Ekpiteta at the far post, and he managed to nod back to Coulson to head beyond Wycherley in front of the rapturous O’s fans.

Both sides traded blows in the closing minutes – Brophy went close with his effort from the edge of the box after being released by Clay while, at the other end, Brill was on hand to keep out a deflected cross and a dangerous free-kick from Daniels.

Ultimately, Orient deservedly got through the tie and now have a second visit to Wembley in five years as they gear up for the FA Trophy final.

Orient team: Brill; Turley, Ekpiteta, Coulson, Happe, Widdowson; Clay, McAnuff; Bonne, Harrold, Koroma