Leyton Orient delayed their inevitable relegation from the Football League by beating Hartlepool.
Crisis-club Orient needed to win to avoid dropping into non-league and goals from Victor Adeboyejo and Tristan Abrahams staved off relegation for now.
Orient, London’s second oldest club behind Fulham, remain bottom of League Two.
They are seven points from safety with just three games remaining and still look certain to fall out of the Football League for the first time in 112 years.
Orient could have their relegation confirmed at Crewe on Saturday.
Orient supporters used to game to protest against controversial owner Francesco Becchetti.
Fans dressed up as clowns to mark the demise of the club under Italian Becchetti.
Orient players and staff have not been paid since the end of February and the club are due back in the High Court in June over unpaid bills.
The game was under threat after it emerged Orient medical staff were refusing to work at the game unless they were paid overdue wages.
But Orient brought in a new medical person for the match and the fixture went ahead.
Orient were heading for relegation when they fell behind just eight minutes in when Rhys Oates scored for Hartlepool.
But the O’s equalised on 18 minutes when Michael Clarke crossed from the right and Victor Adeboyejo fired home from close range.
And Orient deservedly went after 34 minutes when Tristan Abrahams lashed home from inside the area following good build-up play from the home side.
“Becchetti out” chanted Orient supporters as their team held on in the second half to keep alive their slim hopes of avoiding relegation.
