Report

Consett’s recent unbeaten run suffered a knockout blow when they were beaten 3-1 at Bishop Auckland in their Boxing Day derby.

Jason Miller’s side hadn’t lost in a month, having won three and drawn one of their last four games. But Bishops’ top scorer Louis Johnson ended his December goal drought with two second-half strikes which proved the difference between the two sides.

Consett made one change to the side which had beaten Sherwood in their previous game, with Wil Shaw returning in place of David Allasan. There was a new face on the bench, former Sunderland Academy player Ben Creamer, who has signed from West Auckland.

A lacklustre first half saw Bishops take the lead in the 15th minute with the first chance of any note, and the goal had more than an element of good fortune about it. Marc Costello headed clear from a right-wing corner, but Bishops pumped the ball back into the box, and Dom Curl’s attempted clearance hit Jordan Fielding and rebounded in.

Another half-cleared corner saw John Howard hit a half-volley over the bar, while at the other end Costello saw a shot deflected for a corner, and Charlie Exley wasn’t too far away from connecting with a delicious Calvin Smith free-kick delivery into the box after Shaw was fouled.

Half-time: Bishop Auckland 1 Consett 0

Consett had a good chance to level seven minutes into the second half when Jake Orrell’s free-kick was saved down low at the near post by ex-Steelman Jack Norton.

When the resulting corner came to nothing, Bishops broke quickly on their visitors, with Dane Burlace making good ground down the right before feeding Louis Johnson, who headed home.

Undeterred, Consett responded with their best spell of the game, and got their reward on 63 minutes when Costello fed Shaw down the right, and his hard low cross was turned into the net by Aaron Brown for an own goal.

Five minutes later, Consett had their best chance to equalise when Orrell’s cross found Liam Colledge, and his downward header looked a goal all the way until Norton made a fine save, diving to his left to claw the ball round the post.

The next goal was crucial, and unfortunately for Consett it was Bishops who got it, as another break down the right saw Louis Johnson score his second with a lovely lob from an acute angle to make it 3-1.

A spate of substitutions saw the later stages of the game lose much of its momentum. Consett had a late chance when Orrell’s free-kick from the right picked out Exley, but his firm header from 12 yards out was straight at Norton.

But the home side held out to claim the three points which saw them leapfrog their visitors into the top half of the table.
MATCH REPORT: GARY WELFORD
PICTURES: KENNY TAYLOR & KEITH MARLEY