CONSETT picked up a useful three points on the road thanks to Mattie Moffat’s first goals since rejoining the club. Kenny Lindoe kept faith with the same starting XI beaten so disappointingly by Tow Law three days earlier, but changed the usual 3-5-2 formation to 4-4-2, with Michael Coulthard at right–back and Andrew Burton on the left, either side of centre-halves Carl Piecha and David Scorer.

It was the home side who showed first, however, and they sounded an early warning with a move down the left which ended with centre-forward Sonny Andrews shooting just wide.

A couple of minutes later a ball down the channel by Gary Ormston put Steven Johnson in, but the goalkeeper was equal to his firm shot, and a defender completed the clearance.

Then Mattie Moffat picked up the ball in midfield and ran at the heart of the Norton defence, but his 20-yarder took a deflection off Mulligan and spun behind for a corner.

Johnson again tried his luck with a hooked effort from 15 yards which he couldn’t keep down, and an intricate move ended with Ormston’s one-two with Andy Cuthbertson put a fraction too close to the keeper.

After the early scare it was a promising start by Consett, but Norton gave notice that they had plenty to offer as an attacking force when a slick move involving David Hillerby and Andrews fed David Wells, whose firm effort was straight at Dan Staples.

Johnson then had the best chance of the half at the other end, put clear by Andrew Burton’s through ball. As the keeper raced out at him the forward tried to take his chance early, going for the lob, but didn’t get a clean connection, and it was an excellent chance squandered.

Cuthbertson and Pounder both had efforts from the edge of the box which didn’t trouble James Briggs in the Norton goal, but his opposite number had to be alert to thwart Andrews after a delightful reverse ball by Wells.

On the stroke of half-time Moffat came within a whisker of putting the visitors ahead when Coulthard picked him out in the box from just over halfway. The striker controlled the ball on his chest, turned, and fired a shot just inches wide.

Half-time: Norton 0-0 Consett

Moffat looked in the mood for goals, however, and eight minutes into the second half a typical finish gave him his first since rejoining the club. Ormston stole possession on the halfway line and sent him away with a delightful ball down the right-hand channel. Mattie surged into the box, took a touch to steady himself and slotted the ball away confidently, low to the keeper’s left.

Andrews flashed a shot across the face of goal which Staples fingertipped behind for a corner as Norton responded, and then Moffat almost doubled Consett’s lead, forcing a good save from Briggs, with a defender just beating Ormston to the loose ball for a tap-in.

Consett smelled the scent of a killer second goal, and Moffat headed just wide from a fine Johnson cross from the right.

Norton still posed an attacking threat, however, and Wells and Hillerby both hit good efforts straight at Staples who then distinguished himself with a double save from Wells and Matthew Richardson as the home side pressed hard for an equaliser.

But Consett finished the stronger, and a Johnson header which forced a good save from Briggs, a Cuthbertson 20-yarder which went just wide, and a Huggins effort which almost crept in at the near-post put Norton on the back foot.

In added time Consett got the second goal which they deserved, with Moffat and Huggins linking well down the right, and the striker finishing clinically from 12 yards after his team-mate’s pass gave him the chance to pick his spot.

That was that, and while Moffat took his two goals well, the clean sheet will have pleased Kenny almost as much. A repeat performance in the Durham Challenge Cup on Wednesday would do nicely.

Full time: Norton 0-2 Consett

GARY WELFORD