Report

Consett’s return to winning ways proved short-lived as they suffered their heaviest defeat of the season, losing 5-0 to in-form Sheffield.

Manager Tony Fawcett was without five probable starters for the game, which was played at Stocksbridge, with Sheffield’s home ground still unplayable. He made two changes to the side which had beaten Stocksbridge in the previous game, with Dominic Curl and Charlie Watt coming in for the unavailable Ryan McKinnon and Zak Atkinson. His options were so limited that he named himself among the substitutes.

Consett went on the attack from the off, and had a chance inside the first minute as Watt’s great low cross from the left just evaded the sliding-in Wil Shaw. The Steelmen should have had a penalty in the sixth minute when Wil Shaw’s shot was clearly handled by a defender right in front of the referee, who waved play on.

Watt had the ball taken off his toe by a defender as he looked set for a tap-in, but things began to unravel in the 12th minute when a straightforward through ball split the Consett defence and Cameron Johnson ran through to score.

On 20 minutes Jack Gibbons was inches away from levelling as he tried a cheeky effort from outside the box, and then Sheffield went close to doubling their lead as Alfie Smith’s header from a corner hit the top of the bar.

The game was flowing from end to end, Benni Ndlovu had another chance for Sheffield, but fired just wide from the edge of the box, then Gibbons brought the save of the game from home keeper Edd Hall with a screamer from 22 yards, which he saved at full stretch.

On the half hour Consett keeper Kelechi Chibueze made an equally good save from Jamie Yates’s swerving shot, then Watt, who was having his best game so far for Consett, went close from a 20-yard free-kick, which was tipped over by Hall.

Consett were edging the game on chances, but disaster struck three minutes before the break when they fell further behind as Reece Fielding rose highest to head home a right-wing corner.

Watt and Jake Jensen both had chances in added time at the end of the half, but the interval was reached with Sheffield still two goals to the good.

Half-time: Sheffield 2 Consett 0

Consett started the second half as they’d finished the first, on the attack, and Gibbons and Shaw both had good chances to get them a foothold back in the game, but were denied by smart saves by Hall.

Instead the next goal went to the ‘home’ side on 63 minutes – and it was of Consett’s own making. They lost the ball in midfield and sub Nathan Modest, who’d only been on the pitch three minutes, ran through to make it 3-0.

The Steelmen pushed big Dan Capewell up top in a bid to salvage something from the game, but the switch left gaps at the back and Connor Cutts headed just wide, Jensen cleared off the line from Modest and Chibueze saved from Johnson as the pacey Sheffield side turned the screw.

On 71 minutes it was game over as Consett conceded another self-inflicted goal, losing the ball on the edge of their own box, with Jamie Yates supplying the finish this time to make it 4-0.

The game descended into a rash of yellow cards, and in the third minute of added time Luke Mangham rubbed salt into the visitors’ wounds, firing home a rebound to make it 5-0 after Chibueze had denied AJ Greaves.

It was a well-beaten side who headed back up the motorway, but things could have been so different if they’d been awarded that stonewall early penalty and taken one or two of a plethora of chances.
MATCH REPORT: GARY WELFORD
PICTURES: KEITH MARLEY