CONSETT registered a rare league draw at Belle Vue as they were held 2-2 by a determined Morpeth side. However, the home team will be wondering how they didn't secure all three points after dominating for large periods.

Grant Scott made his debut in goal for the suspended Daniel Staples, while David Pounder occupied an unfamiliar left-back role.

The visitors included Marc Walton, who was a prolific scorer for Newcastle at youth and reserve team level, and their substitues included former Magpies fringe player Jamie McClen. He recently signed a pre-contract agreement with Pattaya United in the Thai Premier League, so perhaps he was saving his energy for that!

The game began in pouring rain, and the first 10 minutes were a complete non-event, with both sides struggling to get to grips with the conditions. But as the half wore on Consett started to gain control against the league's third-bottom side.

Pounder was becoming ever more adventurous from his left-back role, and on 15 minutes his 25-yard screamer was well tipped over by visiting goalkeeper Jak Wells, who would prove to be man of the match. From the resulting corner Mattie Moffat's header was cleared off the Morpeth line.

On 23 minutes Chris Scott went on a mazy run in the penalty area, only for his drive to be well saved down low by Wells. Scott was easily Consett's busiest player, and just before the half hour a fantastic 40-yard ball from Steven Huggins sent him away down the right. He delivered a pinpoint cross on to the head of Moffat, only for Wells to save superbly from point-blank range.

Two minutes later Scott was in the thick of it again, sending a 30-yard free-kick crashing against the upright, although Wells may again have got a touch on it.

Grant Scott in the Consett goal hadn't been seen up to this point, but he saved well with his feet on 38 minutes after Daniel Kirkup was left unmarked from a corner.

However, on 41 minutes the young keeper's debut took a turn for the worse when he presented the visitors with the lead. He received a regulation backpass, and despite being under no sort of pressure managed to scuff his clearance straight to Walton, who tapped into the empty net from 15 yards, and looked almost too embarrassed to celebrate.

The lead only lasted two minutes though, as Chris Scott was rewarded for a superb first half by finishing powerfully from 20 yards. The build-up to the goal involved a goalmouth scramble which had Consett appealing for a penalty for handball, and while most of the players were appealing to the referee, they seemed to miss Scott's finish.

Half time: Consett 1-1 Morpeth

Half time came with the score 1-1, although Consett could have easily had four or five. The second half began in similar style to the first ,with little happening in the first 10 minutes.

There was a scare for the home team when a breakdown in communication between skipper Carl Piecha and keeper Scott resulted in David Malloy shooting narrowly wide.

Certainly the young keeper looked to be struggling for confidence by this point, particularly with his kicking, and numerous regulation clearances were scuffed or miscued. As the half wore on, his defenders were clearly reluctant to play the ball back to him, and got themselves in trouble on more than one occasion trying to turn with the ball rather than play it back.

This half was slightly more even than the first, but it was still the Steelmen who had all the best chances, with Pounder sending a superb dipping 30-yard volley narrowly over on the hour mark, and Scott shooting agonisingly wide a few minutes later after great work down the left by Moffat.

Just as the game looked to be heading for a 1-1 draw, Consett deservedly took the lead on 80 minutes. Andrew Cuthbertson turned a defender 20 yards out after receiving a pass from Gary Ormston and buried the ball in the bottom left-hand corner.

It was Cuthbertson's last kick of the game, as he was immediately withdrawn to allow Jonjo Dickman to make his comeback from injury. Worryingly, Consett were forced into another sunstitution on 86 minutes with Piecha limping off, to be replaced by Graham Irving.

No sooner had the substition been made than Consett succumbed to their achilles heel of conceding from corners, as Paul Jackson headed home unchallenged into the bottom right corner.

Consett did have an amazing chance to win the game in injury time as Gavin Parkin, who had come on for the unusually quiet Steven Johnson, found the ball at his feet on the six-yard line, with no defenders near him.

However, Wells made another point-blank save to preserve a point for the visitors. It was another great save, but as with Moffat's header in the first half he shouldn't have got anywhere near it.

Overall, a frustrating afternoon for Consett, and it was certainly Morpeth who were happier with a point.

Full time: Consett 2-2 Morpeth

ANDY BALL