Report

Consett showed a ruthless streak when they beat Blyth Town 6-1 in the first-ever competitive meeting between the clubs at Gateway Park.

The win surpassed the 5-1 victory at Heaton Stannington earlier this season to become the Steelmen’s biggest Northern Premier League success.

Manager Jason Miller made one change from the side which had drawn at Hallam, with skipper Charlie Exley returning from a one-match suspension, with Jordan Patterson dropping to the bench.

Blyth missed two early chances to take the lead and were made to pay by some clinical finishing in the fifth minute. Donny Holdsworth reacted quickest to Will Constantin’s deflected shot, controlling the ball on his thigh and firing past the keeper.

On 15 minutes it was 2-0 as Holdsworth turned provider for Isaac Walker to finish after great work in midfield by Marc Costello.

Adam Johnson looked like Blyth’s main goal threat, and Consett keeper Harry Moss had to be alert to prevent his 20-yarder ending up in the top corner in the 18th minute.

A minute later Consett were grateful to the crossbar for keeping out Joseph Richardson’s 25-yard free-kick, and Johnson was denied by the bar again as Blyth sought a way back.

Walker almost had a second goal in the 26th minute when he spotted keeper Neil De Jesus off his line, and tried to lob him from 25 yards, only for his effort to drop just wide.

But three minutes before half-time it was 3-0 to Consett as a mix-up between the keeper and a defender presented Isaac Walker with an empty net from the edge of the box, and he made no mistake to claim his ninth goal of the season.

There hadn’t been much between the teams as far as creating chances were concerned, but Consett had ridden their luck a little at one end and been clinical at the other.

Half-time: Blyth Town 0 Consett 3

A reaction from Blyth was inevitable, and they got a goal back in the 49th minute through dangerman Adam Johnson, with the ex-Ashington man volleying in at the back post. He had a chance to reduce the arrears further five minutes later, but was denied by Moss.

Consett were carving their hosts apart at times, and Holdsworth combined superbly with Walker, only to be thwarted by the keeper’s dive at his feet.

Exley headed just wide from a right-wing corner, and another Holdsworth effort hit the outside of the post as Consett attacked at will.

A goal looked a matter of time, and it arrived in the 66th minute when they regained their three-goal lead as Brendon Daniels’ pinpoint cross from the left picked out Ben Ramsey‘s run into the box for the winger to head home.

Walker almost got his hat-trick in the 72nd minute when he cut inside and fired a rising shot just over the bar, but Consett didn’t have to wait long for another goal.

Substitute Lewis Leech, who’d only been on the field a few minutes, found Donny Holdsworth with a wonderful crossfield ball, and the No 9 cut in and curled a shot into the bottom corner to make it 5-1.

Consett weren’t finished yet, and Holdsworth got his second assist of the game in the 85th minute as his pass picked out sub Eddie Thomas, whose cool first-time finish means he’s scored against both Blyth clubs this season.

Holdsworth had a chance to claim his first hat-trick for the club when he beat the offside trap in the 87th minute and burst clean through, but under pressure from a defender he put his effort just wide of the post.
MATCH REPORT: GARY WELFORD
PICTURES: KEITH MARLEY AND KENNY TAYLOR