Report

Consett suffered their second defeat in five days when a late goal saw them lose 3-2 at North Ferriby in a game which could have gone either way.

They made just one change to the side which had lost at Sheffield in midweek, with Kaleb Young coming into midfield for skipper Matty Slocombe.

Tony Fawcett’s depleted side got off to an ideal start at the sun-drenched Dransfield Stadium when they were awarded a penalty after just eight minutes.

Wil Shaw was bundled over from behind by Niall Tilsley, and teenage striker Charlie Watt confidently stepped up to score his first goal for the club from the spot, sending goalkeeper Harry Fisk the wrong way.

 

Consett thought they’d doubled their lead in the 21st minute when Jack Gibbons cut in from the right and fires into the far corner, but the referee disallowed the goal for an off-the-ball infringement by Watt.

Centre-back Dan Capewell has contributed a few goals of late, and fancied his chances again in the 29th minute from a recycled corner, but his effort from 25 yards was high and wide.

North Ferriby had enjoyed the bulk of possession but created little until the 38th minute, when Consett lost possession in midfield, which allowed their hosts to surge forward, and it was something of a let-off when Josh Whiteley’s shot came back off the post.

Just when it looked like Consett would get to the interval with their lead intact, the home side equalised on the stroke of half-time, as Tom Corner scored with a close-range header from a superb McCauley Snelgrove right-wing cross.

Half-time: North Ferriby 1 Consett 1

Five minutes into the second half the Steelmen almost restored their lead when a well-struck shot by Gibbons brought the save of the game from Fisk.

It was a good open game, and Consett had keeper Kelechi Chibueze to thank for a good save from Levi Tarbotton on 55 minutes, which kept the scores level. At the other end some good work by Gibbons down the right created a chance for Young, who couldn’t keep his shot down.

Consett did regain the lead midway through the half when great work down the right by Jake Orrell saw him put a superb ball across the box, which Wil Shaw fired home for 2-1.

On 83 minutes North Ferriby levelled for a second time in the game when sub Jack Johnson headed home from a recycled corner after it was headed across the face of goal by Levi Tarbotton.

Consett pushed Capewell up front in a bid to grab a winner to keep their receding play-off hopes alive, and Fisk made a good save from Orrell with two minutes of the 90 remaining.

With four added minutes signalled the game was anybody’s, and unfortunately for Consett it was the Villagers who grabbed a winner to boost their own play-off hopes, with Levi Tarbotton heading home from Corner’s flick-on.

Consett did create one more chance, when the persistence of Capewell set up Gibbons, but Consett’s man of the match blazed his shot over. The result left Consett 9th, eight points adrift of the top five, with six games left to play.
MATCH REPORT & PICTURES: GARY WELFORD