Report

Consett edged a seven-goal thriller in a rollercoaster of a game at the seaside, but failed to finish with 11 men on the field for the second game in a row.

Facing hosts who were on a seven-game unbeaten run, they showed tremendous grit to come back from 1-0 and 2-1 down, take a 4-2 lead, then hang on for the three points after being reduced to 10 men.

Manager Jason Miller made four changes to the starting XI which lost at Ashington in midweek, with Liam Colledge, Lewis Leech, Eddie Thomas and Matty Todd coming in for Jordan Patterson, Calvin Smith, Donny Holdsworth and Ben Ramsey.

Bridlington took the lead in the 16th minute when possession was recycled from a corner and the ball fell to skipper Tom Allan, who scored from a few yards out.

He almost made it two a few minutes later, ghosting in at the back post to meet a free-kick, but put his header wide.

Consett equalised on the half hour when Eddie Thomas – enjoying a rare start up front – latched onto a poor backpass. Although the keeper got a touch to his prodded effort,  the ball bobbled slowly goalwards before going in off the post.

But Brid regained the lead three minutes before half-time when Joe Batty scored from the second phase of play at another set piece to give the home side a 2-1 lead.

Half-time: Bridlington Town 2 Consett 1

Consett came out fired up for the second half, and levelled for a second time in the 56th minute when Marc Costello was fouled right at the edge of the box, on the byline.

Brendon Daniels’ pinpoint free-kick picked out Charlie Exley‘s run into the box for the skipper to head his seventh goal of the season from close range.

Twelve minutes later Consett went ahead for the first time in the game. Lewis Leech won the ball high up the pitch and gave it to Costello, who set up Eddie Thomas to rifle the ball into the far corner for 3-2.

On 74 minutes Thomas turned provider, hooking a fine pass into the path of Matty Todd, who crashed it home on the volley to make it 4-2 with his 10th goal of the season, putting Consett in complete control.

But three minutes later Thomas, whose two goals and an assist in his best game for the club made him a strong contender for man of the match, was shown a straight red card for a rash two-footed lunge in midfield.

The dismissal left Consett to play out the game with 10 men, but they held on fairly comfortably, even though Casey Stewart reduced the arrears with a well-struck 20-yarder deep into injury time.
MATCH REPORT & PICTURES: GARY WELFORD