Report

Consett ensured a Happy New Year for their supporters as they won at managerless Bishop Auckland to make it six games unbeaten in the Northern Premier League.

Manager Jason Miller made just one change to the XI which started against Heaton Stannington on Boxing Day, with Jordan Patterson returning in place of the injured Liam Colledge.

Bishops parted company with their manager Andy Dixon and assistant Iain Leckie after their 4-0 Boxing Day defeat by fellow strugglers Newton Aycliffe, so team matters were placed in the caretaker hands of player-coach Mikey Roberts.

His side had the first chance of the game in the fifth minute, when a deep free-kick from the left midway into the Consett half produced a big goalmouth scramble, but Consett were able to clear the danger.

A goal in the seventh minute by Ben Ramsey – his seventh of the season – set them on their way to victory at the Vest Construction Stadium.

A superb diagonal pass by skipper Charlie Exley found Ramsey 30 yards from goal. He chested the ball down, turned his man, drove forward and unleashed a low shot from 18 yards which keeper Charlie Pocklington got a hand to but couldn’t prevent going in the corner.

Consett suffered a blow in the 10th minute when they had to reshuffle their defence after Will Constantin was forced off, with Marc Costello replacing him.

Bishops responded brightly to going behind, and in the 11th minute Liam Jarvie fired a ball across the face of goal, which no one managed to get on the end of. Six minutes later right-back Harry Gettins put in a good cross from the right, but No 9 JJ Hooper was unable to direct his header on target.

At the other end, Ramsey and Ewan McGowan had shots blocked as Consett attacked again, then Isaac Walker was denied at the near post as he tried to force his way in from the byline.

Things got even better on 26 minutes when a superb pass from on-loan South Shields midfielder McGowan from inside his own half put Isaac Walker clean through on goal, and the winger kept his cool to place his 12th goal of the season into the corner.

The goal put Consett firmly in control, and they had chances to increase their lead. On 37 minutes Walker fed Donny Holdsworth, who beat his man only to see his rising shot just clear the bar. Then three minutes before half-time Walker charged down a clearance and played in Ramsey, whose shot was palmed into the side netting by Pocklington.

Bishops had a chance to reduce the arrears in added time, but sub Jonny Nyantou, who’d just come on for Hooper, headed wide, and Consett went into the break with their two-goal lead intact.

Half-time: Bishop Auckland 0 Consett 2

Consett expected a reaction from their hosts and sure enough it came. Bishops should have reduced the arrears three minutes into the second half when Nyantou again headed wide from a right-wing cross with the goal at his mercy.

But Consett were a constant threat on the break, and Walker had a chance to put the result beyond doubt on 52 minutes when a great ball by Holdsworth put him through, but a defender got a foot in as he prepared to pull the trigger.

Six minutes later Walker had another chance when Holdsworth again sent him clear, but this time he rolled his shot agonisingly the wrong side of the post.

Bishops enjoyed a lot of possession without creating any clear-cut chances, and it was Consett who came closest to scoring as the game reached its closing stages.

First a great pass by Lewis Leech sent Walker scampering down the left in the 81st minute. He beat his man but saw his shot deflected behind for a corner. The resulting set piece caused havoc in the six-yard box , and the ball bounced off a defender and hit the inside of the post before being scrambled away.

Bishops threatened briefly when sub Isaac Coppinger had a chance from a header, but his effort lacked direction and didn’t trouble Moss, who barely had a serious save to make all afternoon.

As the game entered four added minutes Calvin Smith had a chance to seal the win with a 25-yard free-kick, but his effort cleared the bar. When the final whistle went, Consett’s game plan had worked a treat and won them three well-deserved points.

The win meant they’d taken seven points from a possible nine over the festive period, moving into the top half of the table for the first time since the end of October, when their mid-season injury crisis kicked in.
MATCH REPORT: GARY WELFORD
PICTURES: KEITH MARLEY