Shamir Mullings scored his first Maidstone goal but it wasn’t enough to salvage a point against Leyton Orient.

Substitute Mullings’ late header gave United hope after the O’s opened up a 2-0 lead with first-half goals from Josh Koroma and Marvin Ekpiteta.

The Stones pushed for a leveller but Orient saw out the game for their first National League win of the season.

There was a late change to the Stones line-up with Jordan Wynter replacing Alex Finney, who broke down in the warm-up.

Maidstone made a flying start, easily their best this season, dominating possession and swarming all over the O’s.

Jamar Loza looked the biggest threat out on the left, seeing plenty of the ball and having a couple of early chances, including one blocked by Ekpiteta.

But Orient, backed by more than 600 travelling fans, took the lead against the run of play in the 10th minute.

For all the quality in their side, it was route one that did the trick as Koroma met keeper Dean Brill’s big clearance, put the ball over Will De Havilland’s head and went through to beat Lee Worgan.

Worgan denied Charlie Lee soon after as Stones took time to clear their heads after the shock of falling behind.

They went close before the 20-minute mark after a nice move involving Loza and Seth Nana Twumasi ended with Stuart Lewis’ 20-yard drive pushed over the bar by Brill.

Turgott was looking to get at Orient down the right but the visitors doubled their lead with a simple second in the 35th minute.

The goal came from an inswinging James Dayton corner, with Ekpiteta gifted a header.

The lively Macauley Bonne and Loza were booked for some handbags on the halfway line before the break.

Ollie Muldoon, influential in Maidstone’s bright start, put a free-kick over at the start of the second half.

And while Orient were looking fairly comfortable, United had a golden chance to level when substitute Jack Paxman found Twumasi who drove into the box and played a dream ball across the six-yard box that was crying out for any sort of touch.

Mullings joined Joe Quigley up top midway through the second half, giving United another option to hit.

The move paid off in the 80th minute as fellow substitue Andre Coker curled in a cross and Mullings powered home a header.

Orient had conceded late goals from winning positions in their past two games and United looked to throw everything at them.

That said, the O’s went close to a third when Koroma’s strike clipped the post.

United were lifted when five minutes were added on and in the second of those, Turgott was thwarted by a good save from Brill.

Maidstone: Worgan, Efete, De Havilland, Wynter, Twumasi, Muldoon (Mullings 68mins), Lewis, Phillips (Paxman 54mins), Turgott, Quigley, Loza (Coker 60mins). Subs not used: McLennan, Funnell.

Attendance: 3,037 (630 away).