League One clash stopped after linesman suffers freak injury – then fourth official replacement ’causes chaos’

LEYTON ORIENT’S clash with Wycombe had to be suspended due to a freak injury suffered by the linesman.

The assistant referee pulled up with a muscle injury during the opening 20 minutes of the League One match on Friday.

Orient confirmed a break in play on social media as the fourth official prepared to take over from the stricken linesman.

However, they later wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Still waiting. Think the Fourth has left his boots in the changing room. Chaos.”

Once the fourth official was able to take to the touchline, the match resumed after a few minutes.

At the time of the incident, the two sides were still level at 0-0 just 18 minutes into the contest.

Neither side could break the deadlock after the restart, though, with the match ending goalless.

The result means both sides remain in the bottom half of the League One table.

Orient remain 13th on 29 points and are 14 points adrift of the play-offs.

Meanwhile, Wycombe have slipped further into the relegation battle as their winless league run extended to 13 matches.

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The Chairboys, who have not claimed all three points since October 7, are now 19th and just five points above the drop zone.

Friday’s stoppage comes after a similar incident in the Championship earlier this month.

Fans were left bemused after the referee disappeared down the tunnel during Norwich’s win over Sheffield Wednesday on December 13.

Matt Donohue was forced off the pitch to fix an equipment malfunction shortly before the hour mark.