Should Paul Trollope not arrive for training with Bristol Rovers today, it may just be that his lottery numbers came up on Saturday night.

Coaches and managers all too often have to field the brickbats – whether deserved or not – when things don't go to plan on the field.

Conversely, they do sometimes get things bang on. And Trollope would have been entitled to allow himself a quiet smile of satisfaction for his part in fashioning this turnaround victory just as another away game seemed to be slipping out of the Pirates' grasp.

Before the match, the first-team coach had talked up the roles he believed midfielder Jeff Hughes and striker Darryl Duffy had to play over the rest of the season.

The gist was that he felt Hughes was now starting to deliver on a more regular basis after an inconsistent start to the campaign, and that Duffy was still a threat despite finding himself playing mainly cameo roles from the bench since the emergence of Jo Kuffour as Rickie Lambert's regular partner up front.

It could, of course, be nothing more than coincidence that it was Hughes and Duffy who provided the goals which secured only the Pirates' second away success of the campaign.

But after taking a positive gamble and throwing on Duffy as a third striker when the visitors once more found themselves chasing a game they should never have been behind in, Trollope's tactical move unquestionably paid dividends.

While Hughes has at least been getting regular starts, Duffy has had to wait patiently to try to influence things from the bench in recent months – something he admits has been frustrating when his £100,000 move from Swansea City last summer was sparked largely by a desire for more regular football.

"I came here to play games and score goals, but I've not really done either so far," admitted Duffy. "I could have stayed at Swansea and sat on the bench and the chance to play was one of the reasons I came here.

"Of course it's frustrating when you are not starting, but I have spoken to Trolls about it. He knows how I feel, I know how he feels and at the end of the day it's down to me to make sure he has to play me.

"I missed a few chances earlier in the season which I would normally have stuck away if I'd been 100 per cent sharp. They weren't glaring misses, but still chances I would have expected myself to score from.

"If that hadn't happened, I'd probably still be in the team – so I've only got myself to look at.

"Hopefully my goal will be a reminder that I'm not finished yet!"

Duffy's strike came with five minutes left as he profited from a bad mistake by Orient central defender Alton Thelwell to race in on goal. It looked for a split second as though the ball was far enough ahead of him for the onrushing Glenn Morris to smother the chance.

But Duffy bravely slid in to knock the ball past the advancing keeper and into an empty net for his first goal since late August.

That came five minutes after Hughes had put the visitors back on level terms.

After having the better of the first half but failing to take a couple of decent chances, Rovers suddenly found themselves under the cosh early in the second period as Orient upped the tempo and won a series of corners.

The new-found gusto so glaringly lacking from the home side's first-half display produced reward after 56 minutes when Adam Boyd got just enough of a leap on Stuart Campbell to meet Dean Morgan's flag-kick delivery and head the Londoners in front.

To their credit, Rovers kept going and grabbed themselves a lifeline when good work by Kuffour set up a chance for Lambert, whose shot was blocked by Tamika Mkandawire before falling for Hughes to capitalise with a close-range angled finish.

Rovers have played better away from home and lost this term, but at least this time they were not left to look back and rue earlier missed opportunities.

Hughes, under pressure, had prodded a hurried attempt over the top after 16 minutes, while Kuffour blasted a shot wide and Lambert smashed a 20-yard free-kick a fraction the wrong side of an upright.

"The result was all the more important because other teams around us got wins," added Duffy.

"This is going to be a really massive run of games for us because we are playing so many of those sides over the next month or so.

"Now hopefully we can go on a bit of a run and I can grab a few more goals along the way. There's still a lot of games left yet, so hopefully I'll get plenty of opportunities.

"I've never had a season yet when I've not scored at least 10 so I'll be gutted if I can't get to that."

The defeat was to prove Martin Ling's swan-song as Orient boss. There were boos from some home fans at the final whistle and, prophetically, shouts for his head after eight games without a win.

"We seem to have a death wish," said Ling, unaware at the time how ironic those words would prove to be a few hours later when he found himself out of a job. "At the moment we seem to be finding any way we can to lose games.

"Sometimes teams look like they are going to lose games but then hit back late to draw or win them. We are the opposite of that at the moment.

"We have only taken nine points at home so far this season and that's why we are in our current position."