CONSETT stumbled to an unexpected defeat against a Bishop Auckland side who were much more up for this game than the strangely lacklustre Steelmen. Kenny Lindoe kept faith in the starting XI which came from behind to beat Esh Winning 4-1 in midweek, which meant Steven Johnson, Mattie Moffat and Chris Scott again had to be content with places on the bench, along with the returning Jonjo Dickman and Scott Martindale.

Bishops had Adam Emson, who recently joined them in an exchange deal involving Gavin Parkin, in his preferred wide role, feeding off burly frontman Wayne Gredziak, with another recent signing, Tyson Masters, making it three up front.

Two strikers with points to prove against their old clubs then, and it was Parkin who showed first, but his shot on two minutes was deflected harmlessly wide.

Emson then thought he had been put in by Gredziak, but, not for the last time in the afternoon, Consett were saved by the linesman flagging for offside.

Visiting centre-half Allan Reid found his name going into the referee's notebook after just six minutes when he illegally halted Steven Huggins' progress, but David Pounder's 30-yard free-kick struck the wall.

On seven minutes Emson had the ball in the net after latching onto Masters' headed flick, but he was flagged offside.

Carl Piecha, playing in midfield, started and finished a move which required a good save from Peter Jeffries, who dived low to his right to turn the ball round for a corner.

Piecha then turned provider, picking out Pounder with a ball from the left which he volleyed first-time from the edge of the area, without seriously troubling the keeper.

There was a let-off for Consett on the quarter-hour when Michael Coulthard and David Scorer got into a mix-up which allowed Masters a run on goal, but again the linesman's flag came to the rescue.

Gredziak then went close with a lob over the onrushing Dan Staples, and Consett had an even bigger let-off on 17 minutes when Emson got free and was fouled by Paul Collins. The referee gave a free-kick right on the edge of the box, when many thought it was a penalty. Emmo took the free-kick himself, and his shot flew inches over.

Midway through the half Gary Ormston and Andrew Cuthbertson worked a decent chance for Parkin, but his effort was straight at the keeper.

On 26 minutes Coulthard, pushing up from the back, came close to opening the scoring when he tried a chip from outside the box which Jeffries had to tip over.

Emson was proving a thorn in his old club's side, and he skinned Collins down the left and picked out Masters, who was unable to keep his shot down.

Consett responded with a slick move which saw Huggins find Ormston on the right with a crossfield pass, and his pullback for Parkin saw the little striker test his old team-mate with a shot which he almost fumbled in.

Bishops were carving out plenty of chances of their own, however, and when Gredziak wriggled free he was left one-on-one with Staples, who stood up well to block his shot, and gathered the ball at the second attempt. The goalkeeper again came to his side's rescue when a fluffed clearance put Gredziak in again, but he shot straight at him.

As half-time approached Bishops were in the ascendancy, and Staples again had to be quick off his line to thwart Masters after the dozing Consett defence gave him his turn for a one-on-one.

The Steelmen hadn't created a lot, but had the ball in the net two minutes before the break, only to see it disallowed for a handball by Andrew Burton in the build-up as he controlled before turning and firing home.

Half time: Consett 0-0 Bishop

Scott Martindale came on for Cuthbertson at half-time in an attempt to inject some life into the Consett attack, but within a minute of the restart Bishops were ahead, and inevitably the goalscorer was Emson. Again an opposition attacker was left one-on-one with Staples, and this time he made no mistake, rolling his shot into the corner to make it 1-0.

Ten minutes later Gredziak had the ball in the net again, lobbing Staples after racing onto Emson's flick-on, but Consett were saved by the flag for the umpteenth time.

Emson was full of confidence now, and he almost grabbed a second after beating Staples to Mark Henson's long ball and hooking a shot goalwards, only to see it bounce just wide.

Johnson came on for Parkin and Dickman for Collins as Consett sought an equaliser, but it was Bishops who looked more likely to score, and Staples was keeping the home side in it virtually single-handedly. He snatched the ball off Masters' toes after the lively striker had been put in by Emson and Gredziak.

Johnson had a headed effort which he couldn't steer on target, and then a better shot from Burton's pass which Jeffries got a firm hand to, to turn round for a corner.

But the Consett defence, which looked vulnerable to the visitors' power and pace up front all afternoon, finally caved in again on 76 minutes. Masters' flick-on put Emson in, and as he tried to take the ball round Staples, the keeper brought him down. The referee's card stayed in his pocket, but Bishops skipper Stephen Salvin stepped up to confidently tuck the penalty away for 2-0.

Three minutes later things got even worse, when Emson was again hauled down by Staples, and with the offence this time in a more central position, the referee showed the teenager a straight red card.

Dickman, who had only been on the field 10 minutes, went in goal, but could do nothing about Salvin's spot-kick, put away in the same place as his first.

It was a completely ragged Consett who saw out the last 10 minutes, and the only surprise was that man-of-the-match Emson didn't add to his goal, sending a delicate lob and a sizzling volley just over.

The final whistle signalled the end of a game in which Consett were decidely second-best, and facing an anxious wait to see how long their only regular goalkeeper will be banned after his sending-off.

Full time: Consett 0-3 Bishop

GARY WELFORD