Consett went toe-to-toe with one of NPL Division One East’s top two for the second time in four days tonight, but were left to rue a missed penalty as they were beaten 2-1 at Morpeth Town.
Jason Miller’s side were again without five players as they travelled to Craik Park for the first time since 2018, but put up a tremendous performance against the second-placed Highwaymen.
They didn’t make it easy for themselves, however, going a goal down after just two minutes when they failed to cut out a cross from the left and Harry Gardiner headed home from close range.
Consett responded well to going behind, and levelled in the 13th minute when Lucas Lowery slipped the ball inside to Isaac Walker, whose well-struck effort took a slight nick off a defender, which gave the Morpeth keeper no chance.
One-time Steelman Danny Barlow went close with a free-kick for Morpeth, before Lowery was just off target with a dipping effort
Right-winger Aaron Chungh was proving to be Morpeth’s dangerman, and he tested Harry Moss with a low shot after cutting in from the flank. The keeper couldn’t hold it on the slick 3G pitch, but the ball was scrambled away.
A minute later Walker was played in at the end of an excellent passing move down the left, and forced Morpeth keeper Dan Langley to make a good save at his near post.
Chungh was proving a handful, and tested Moss again at his near post, but this time the Consett keeper hung on, and just before the break Barlow made a superb last-ditch tackle at the other end to deny Walker as he was about to shoot.
Half-time was reached with the score 1-1 after an entertaining 45 minutes, but disaster struck for Consett two minutes into the second half when they were again caught cold.
This time left-winger Jarrett Rivers cut inside from the flank and found space to squeeze a shot past Moss at his near post to make it 2-1 to Morpeth.
Consett were still a threat on the break, and were handed a lifeline on the hour when one quick raid ended with Walker, pictured top, being brought down as he tried to go round a defender. He picked himself up to take the resulting penalty, but Langley guessed right and made a good save to preserve Morpeth’s lead.
There was another big penalty shout in the 73rd minute when Donny Holdsworth appeared to be bundled over from behind bya defender as he shielded the ball, but this time the referee waved the visitors’ appeals away.
Consett’s best chance of a second equaliser came in the 80th minute when Brendon Daniels’ deep cross picked out Marc Costello, but the veteran midfielder’s header was saved low down by langley.
Morpeth were looking for a third goal to kill the game, and had two chances in thre 87th minute, but Moss kept Consett in the game with a flying stop from a long-range effort, before getting up to block the rebound.
Consett kept trying for a way through the well-organised Morpeth back line, but simply ran out of time, and the recent four-game unbeaten run which had taken them to within a place of the play-off places came to an end.
The game was a fine advert for Step 4 football, with two teams playing contrasting styles, and the win took Morpeth level on points with leaders Liversedge, while Consett dropped four places to 12th.
However, the league table is so tight at the moment that Consett are just two points behind Heaton Stannington, who occupy the last play-off place at the moment, with two games in hand, and just four points separate the teams in 7th and 18th.
