Leyton Orient midfielder Craig Clay scored with four minutes remaining as the visitors rescued a point against Salford City on the opening day of the National League season.

Neither side managed to take the lead after a first half filled with chances, but a goal at either end of the second half brought the game to life in the latter period.

The Ammies were quick off the mark and threatened as early on as the sixth minute when Ibou Touray struck from range, only for Dean Brill to parry the effort wide.

Rory Gaffney then almost found Adam Rooney with a cross which Sam Ling blocked at the last minute, while a ninth-minute Liam Hogan header at the back post dropped wide of the target.

The O's eventually grew into the game and almost took the lead on 22 minutes when Alex Lawless struck the post with an effort from just outside the box.

Despite an entertaining first half, neither side could break the deadlock come half time, but Salford did not waste any time in finding the opener just after the restart.

Danny Lloyd was the architect with a low cross which Gaffney met on the volley and stabbed into the back of the Orient net after 47 minutes played.

Orient should have levelled three minutes after conceding, but midfielder Josh Koroma could only slice the ball over the bar after it was headed back towards goal by Lawless.

Clay's first real involvement in the game was to stab the ball out of play after Salford duo Touray and Gaffney exchanged quick passes, before the latter drilled a low cross into the box.

Orient then had more chances of their own, but last season's top scorer Macauley Bonne fired over from close range, before James Alabi's flick-on saw the striker almost round Salford stopper Chris Neil.

The visitors' best chance to equalise came, however, two minutes before their goal. Substitute Charlie Lee's header rebounded off the post, before the ball was cleared frantically.

Orient got their just rewards for continued pressure with Clay's strike, which came after a failed clearance allowed the midfielder to poke home and rescue a point for his team.

Salford City (4-4-2): Neil; Touray, Hogan, Piergianni, Wiseman; Walker (Mafuta, 85), Whitehead, Maynard, Lloyd (Haugton, 70); Rooney, Gaffney

Leyton Orient (4-4-2): Brill; Ling (Lee, 80), Coulson, Elokobi, Widdowson; Koroma (Dayton, 80), Clay, Lawless (Brophy, 60), McAnuff; Alabi, Bonne