CONSETT slumped to their heaviest home defeat in 20 years after a shambolic performance saw them hit for six.

The Railwaymen gained full revenge – and then some - for their 2-1 home loss three weeks earlier, in which they had two men sent off.

Warren Byrne, the league’s top scorer with 41 goals last season, did most of the damage with a first-half hat-trick as he celebrated coming off the transfer list in style.

Three more goals in the last quarter of an hour snuffed out a short-lived revival which saw Adam Emson score against his old club, and in all honesty the visitors were well worth the emphatic victory, which the home side will put down as a day to forget.

Chris Scott tries his luck with a free kick

Paul Henderson-Reay nutmegs a defender

Byrne gave notice as early as the 2nd minute that he was going to be a handful, making life awkward for Consett goalkeeper Daniel Staples as he chased a long ball.

Defender David Scorer – still looking for his first goal for the club – headed over from a Dickman free-kick.

But after only four minutes, disaster struck when Dickman, who had passed a late fitness test, had to be helped off the field after twisting his ankle as he turned in the box after latching onto a Gary Ormston pass.

Before Consett had a chance to regroup, they found themselves a goal behind on 13 minutes. Carl Piecha was adjudged to have fouled Byrne as they tussled for possession, and the striker confidently slotted the penalty home to make it 1-0.

On 26 minutes Consett were made to pay for their profligacy when Byrne received the ball on the edge of the box, went past a defender, and fired home via the left-hand post to make it 2-0.

Ormston rescued his side with a timely tackle as Byrne went in search of his hat-trick, Staples saved low to his right from Chris Bell, and then almost gifted Shildon a goal after coming a long way for a cross, only to fumble it, and was relieved to see John Hutton shoot over.

The reprieve didn’t last long, however, as Byrne completed his hat-trick on 40 minutes after being sent clear by Andy Johnson, drawing the keeper and finishing clinically.

Johnson then shot straight at Staples with Byrne unmarked to his left as Shildon turned the screw, and, just when Consett thought things couldn’t get worse, Piecha suffered a back injury after landing heavily in an aerial challenge with Byrne, and needed extensive treatment.

The dying seconds of the half saw Andrew Cuthbertson become the first player to enter the referee’s notebook after reacting angrily to Lee Chapman’s challenge and pushing him in the face. The midfielder could perhaps count himself fortunate to only be show a yellow card when he couldn’t have argued with a red, but the home fans weren’t happy to see the Shildon No 10 escape punishment for the original foul.

Warren Byrne opens the scoring from the spot

David Scorer clears

Shildon’s Gary Brown, who was dominating midfield, was the second player lucky not to see red after catching Coulthard with a flailing arm, but then showed the good side of his game with a glorious pass to Richmond down the left. Instead of passing to the unmarked Byrne he chose to shoot, forcing a good save from Staples, and Coulthard beat Bell to the loose ball.

At this stage it looked a case of when rather than if Shildon would score a fourth, but when another goal came midway through the half it was Consett who got it. Scott played the ball forward to Ormston, who fed Emson, and he reduced the arrears from eight yards.

For the first time in the game Consett looked like they believed in themselves, and Cuthbertson had a chance taken off his toe before Emson beat two men and forced Naisbett to save at his near post.

The revival didn’t last long, however, and Brown had a header from a corner cleared off the line before Johnson made it 4-1 by finishing a move which flowed from right to left across the Consett area.