Report

Consett laid their Brighouse Town bogey to rest in style, beating them 3-0 at Belle View Stadium.

The West Yorkshire side had won all three previous Northern Premier League visits to Belle View, but never looked like repeating the feat.

Jason Miller named the same starting XI which began the 5-1 win at Heaton Stannington, and for the third game in a row the Steelmen started impressively.

They went ahead after four minutes when Donny Holdsworth beat the keeper to a through ball, and set up Isaac Walker to sidefoot his first goal of the season from just inside the box.

Walker had another chance when Holdsworth played him through the middle, but a defender managed to knock him off balance and he fired wide.

Consett doubled their lead on 23 minutes when Calvin Smith’s cross from the left fell to Matty Todd, and the teenager finished at the back post for his third goal of the season.

Brighouse’s best chance came on 26 minutes when Rhys Plater beat the offside trap, but Consett keeper Harry Moss stood up well to save.

Two minutes later it was 3-0. Marc Costello thundered a header against the bar from a corner, and when the ball fell to Isaac Walker at the edge of the box he fired home through a crowd of players.

The goal prompted Brighouse to substitute both their centre-halves, but Consett kept creating chances.

The best came on 36 minutes when a flowing move ended with Ben Ramsey testing the keeper with a good effort after cutting in from the flank, and right on half-time Holdsworth hit a curling effort just over. Half-time: Consett 3 Brighouse Town 0 Brighouse upped their game in the second half, but couldn’t make any inroads against a well-organised Consett defence which kept its first clean sheet of the season.

Miller’s men had further chances to give the scoreline a more comprehensive look; Cobi Jones slashed a shot wide after a good one-two with fellow sub Dean Armstrong, before Smith warmed the keeper’s hands with a well-struck 30-yarder.

When the final whistle went it was a comfortable win for Consett, even if their second-half display didn’t hit the heights of the first 45 minutes.