Leyton Orient sealed their return to the Football League after a two year exile with a goalless draw at home to Braintree Town.

The result, along with Salford City’s loss away to Hartlepool United, confirmed the O’s as National League champions ahead of Salford and Solihull Moors, who were both still in with an unlikely chance of topping the division at the end of play.

Relegation at the end of the 2016/17 brought to an end a 112 year stay in the Football League for the club, but they are now back where many feel they truly belong.

Orient named an unchanged side to the one that draw 0-0 away at Solihull Moors on Monday afternoon, with the same five also making the bench.

It was a fast start for the O’s, with James Brophy bursting forward inside the first ten seconds and being roared on by the crowd, but the Braintree defence eventually retrieved the ball and cleared to safety.

Marvin Ekpiteta then had the next opportunity as Orient continued their dominant start to the game. The ball fell to him from Brophy’s corner, but his effort was well blocked and the resulting build-up play between Craig Clay and Jamie Turley was cleared.

It felt like only a matter of time before the hosts would break the deadlock, but they failed to turn their possession into chances. The closest they came was on 20 minutes when a deflected strike from Jobi McAnuff fell kindly into the arms of Ben Kilip in the Braintree goal.

Braintree were offering little going forward and their best opportunity came right at the end of the half when Sven Karic curled a free-kick comfortably over Dean Brill’s bar.

Orient continued to be the dominant side after the break and there seemed to be more intent about their play.

Clay’s threaded pass through to Koroma was just too heavy for the striker to latch on to while a peach of a cross by Jamie Turley just missed the head of Joe Widdowson.

The O’s then thought they’d taken the lead just before the hour mark as Widdowson’s cross went through to Clay, who was tackled as he went to shoot, but the loose ball fell to Macauley Bonne who fired in on the turn. The linesman, though, ruled it out for offside.

Orient continued to press while Braintree continued to soak up the pressure, but the lack of clear cut chances was still preventing the hosts from getting a firmer grip on the game.

Brophy and substitute Charlie Lee were guilty of spurning good opening, the latter’s effort ending up on the roof of the stand, while Turley came the closest with an excellent controlled volley that flew just over.

Few chances on goal came as the game petered out, but the noise levels inside the Breyer Group Stadium certainly didn’t disappoint as fans rejoiced at the club’s return to the Football League.

The season is not yet over, though, as the O’s still have the matter of a trip to Wembley when they play AFC Fylde in the FA Trophy final on Sunday, May 19.

Orient line-up: Brill; Turley, Ekpiteta, Coulson, Happe, Widdowson; McAnuff, Clay, Brophy; Koroma, Bonne

Substitutes: Sargeant, Maguire-Drew, Harrold, Lee, Simpson

Attendance: 8,421