Report

A Consett side which could best be described as patched up was soundly beaten by Dunston at a rain-lashed Belle View Stadium.

Jason Miller was without seven of his first-team squad, and only had 11 fit and available senior players to choose from, so was forced to fill the bench with largely untried youngsters.

Former Consett Reserves captain Kieran Scott, the son of assistant manager Gav Scott, came into the starting XI, two years and nine months after his last appearance for the club.

Three players without a single game between them joined lone senior player Eddie Thomas and back-up keeper Elliott Claydon as subs – defender Oliver Martin, who featured in pre-season, utility player Callum Stocks, who attended the manager’s academy, and 16-year-old midfielder Alfie Doran, top scorer for the current Consett Reserves.

The game kicked off in absolutely atrocious conditions, with rain teeming down and a gusty wind blowing around the ground, and Consett more than held their own for the first half hour.

Ben Ramsey had the game’s first shot on eight minutes. Dunston keeper Dan Lowson was taking no chances in the conditions, punching it away. The ball cannoned back off one of his defenders and went the wrong side of the post, which sums up Consett’s luck lately.

The resulting corner fell to on-loan South Shields midfielder Ewan McGowan at the edge of the box, but he couldn’t keep his shot down. Calvin Smith also tried his luck from distance at the end of a good Consett move, but his shot also cleared the crossbar.

Dunston were dominating possession, without really threatening, but took the lead with a goal out of nothing on 34 minutes. Consett keeper Harry Moss looked to have cleared the danger when he punched away a left-wing cross, but the ball was quickly recycled and JJ O’ Donnell supplied a clinical finishing touch at the front post.

Two minutes later Dunston doubled their lead as ex-Consett player Wil Shaw cut in from the left flank and was allowed time and space to unleash a great strike from 25 yards.

Half-time: Consett 0 Dunston 2

Consett’s night went from bad to worse at half-time when they lost another player to injury, with McGowan failing to re-emerge and having to be replaced by Thomas.

Shaw tested Moss a couple of times as Dunston looked to seal the win, and on 65 minutes they made it 3-0 as a defensive error saw left-back Chris McDonald run through and round the keeper to secure the points.

Consett brought on Callan Stocks for Ramsey in the 77th minute, and within a minute he had reduced the arrears. Consett broke quickly after Dunston had a penalty appeal turned down, and when a cross came in from the right, Stocks, pictured top, beat Lowson to a loose ball and scored with his first touch.

The goal briefly gave the Steelmen hope, though Moss had to be alert to tip over a well-struck shot from Dunston captain David Robinson on 82 minutes.

At the other end, Will Constantin wasn’t too far away with a 30-yarder which flew inches wide of the left-hand post on 86 minutes.

Two minutes later they came close to setting up a grandstand finish as stand-in skipper Michael Ledger’s goalbound header from a right-wing corner was cleared off the line by McDonald.

But Dunston removed any doubt about the outcome in the final minute, as right-back Harvey Neary scored a lovely solo goal to make it 4-1.

It was a night Consett will want to put behind them, but the free weekend ahead might give them the chance to getting one or two of their missing players back for their next fixture.
MATCH REPORT: GARY WELFORD
PICTURES: KEITH MARLEY & GARY WELFORD