Struggling Exeter City dropped into the League One relegation zone despite ending Leyton Orient's four-game winning run by holding the O's to a goalless draw at St James Park.

The game was briefly stopped in the 34th minute following reports of discriminatory comments from the away end, with a warning given over the public address system.

It came immediately after Exeter's Jayden Wareham had the best chance of a goalless first half when he headed against the Orient post.

Tyreeq Bakinson had a goal for Orient ruled out for offside 10 minutes after the break as the visitors began to threaten.

Dom Ballard also went close for the O's while Exeter substitute Akeel Higgins had a chance well saved as neither side could break the deadlock.

The point - Exeter's first after a five-game losing run - was not enough to keep them out of the relegation places after Blackpool's late win over Burton Albion.

They are two points behind the Tangerines and in the final relegation place - putting even greater significance on the meeting between the two sides on Good Friday.

Meanwhile, the O's remain in 17th place, six points above the drop zone.

Theo Archibald forced a good save from Exeter reserve goalkeeper Jack Bycroft early on – Bycroft made his first league start for City after Joe Whitworth failed a late fitness test.

Wareham could have put Exeter ahead when his 33rd-minute header bounced off the upright from a tight angle at the far post after excellent build-up play from Carlos Mendes Gomes and Danny Andrew.

The game was paused immediately after and an announcement on the public address system warned fans about their conduct after discriminatory comments were reported from the away end.

Exeter played some good passing football at times, and could have twice gone in front as the half ended in frenetic fashion - Ilmari Niskanen fired Charlie Cummins' cutback from the byeline against the legs of an Orient defender while Reece Cole forced a superb save from visiting keeper Will Dennis.

The O's immediately launched the ball upfield, and when Exeter centre-back Luca Woodhouse slipped Orient forward Ballard was clean through, but he scooped his shot over the bar.

Orient thought they had scored when Bakinson touched Archibald's shot from a corner into the net, but the midfielder was offside, while he saw another effort cleared desperately by Johnly Yfeko eight minutes later after good hold-up play by Ballard.

Ballard – Orient's 21-goal top scorer – began to get more influence on the game as he flashed an effort across the face of goal with 20 minutes left while the visitors were indebted to Dennis when he saved well from substitute Higgins three minutes later.

But, despite holding on for a point, Exeter's day ended on a sour note when news filtered through that Blackpool had scored late on to go above them in the table.

Exeter City interim manager Matt Taylor told BBC Sport:

"They always had a threat about them, especially on the break. I think you saw that with Ballard's chance, but we have to make that pressure tell in that first half.

"Time and time again we had box entries without real clinical moments.

"I'm not sick of saying it, but I'm going to keep on saying it, about adding set-piece outcome to that and a contribution to those moments where we're on top.

"That's the first time we've been on top of a team like that for a long time and you just wanted a goal to back up the performance and give everyone a little bit more confidence."

On the stoppage for discriminatory language:

"I don't know who reported it. I think maybe a steward reported it to fourth officials, the referee and then there's a protocol where they tell the managers, the captains, and then there's an announcement made.

"I'm not sure our players were aware of it until the announcement was made.

"We don't want to see it, we don't want to hear it, it's got no place in the game.

"I think we've done what's right in terms of that aspect of that protocol."

Leyton Orient head coach Richie Wellens told BBC Sport:

"To come here, a clean sheet, not get beat, it was important

"I thought in the second half we were a better team, we had more chances, we dominated the ball more, against a a team that really dominates the ball against most teams.

"They started better, we finished strongly, but in the end probably a point was a fair result."