Consett picked up their first away points of the season today with a gutsy 2-1 win at Grimsby Borough, despite being without seven players.

Injuries, illness and unavailability meant manager Jason Miller had only 12 players to choose from for the trip to the Bradley Football Development Centre.

But a controlled performance and never-say-die attitude saw the Steelmen prove their mettle by coming from behind to head home with all three points.

Calvin Smith came in at right-back for his first start of the season, and Brendon Daniels made only his second, with David Allasan, who’s just returning from injury, the only substitute.

The hosts were desperate for points to pull away from the bottom end of the table, and took the lead five minutes before half-time, when Josh Clarke crossed from the right and the ball fell for Charlie Clements to fire home.

Consett came out with more urgency in the second half, and levelled on 49 minutes when Donny Holdsworth headed a deep corner back into the danger zone. Charlie Exley’s shot was cleared off the line, but Michael Ledger drilled the loose ball in from seven yards for his first goal from the club.

Eight minutes later Consett thought they had turned the game around when Holdsworth beat his man, reached the byline and pulled the ball back for Oli Thompson, but his shot went in off Lucas Lowery, who had strayed into an offside position.

Two minutes later the visitors enjoyed a stroke of luck when Luke Ayris’s header came back off the bar, but it was Consett who looked more likely to get the next goal.

It came in the 87th minute when a stray pass by a Grimsby defender let in Thompson, who drove into the box and unselfishly pulled the ball back for Donny Holdsworth to finish past the exposed keeper.

It was the No 9’s fifth goal of the season, and his third in three visits to Grimsby Borough, after his winner in 2024-25 and neat lob in our 2-1 defeat last season.

• Full match report, goals and manager interview to follow.