Report

A much-improved performance saw Consett return to winning ways when they headed home from in-form Ashington with three points after a convincing 3-0 victory.

Matty Slocombe’s return to the starting line-up for the first time in 12 games gave the Steelmen a much more solid look, and they set up in an attacking 3-5-2 formation, with Jermaine Metz and Darren Holden as wing-backs, and midfielder Calvin Smith as part of a back three!

Ashington included one ex-Steelman in their side, Dean Briggs, who was their top scorer with 11 goals.

It was Consett who threatened first, when a great cross from the right picked out Dale Pearson, who tested home keeper Adam McHugh with a firm header on six minutes.

A minute later Ashington almost took the lead when Lee Scott hit the post, and the Colliers had a big penalty appeal turned down a couple of minutes later.

Consett slowly started to take control of the game, and Matty Cornish fired over from 25 yards, and a great cross by the marauding Metz, who was tearing the home defence to shreds down the right, just evaded Pearson sliding in.

Consett got the breakthrough they desreved on 22 minutes when Luke Carr’s through ball sent Dale Pearson clear, and he fired home from just inside the box, pictured top.

Two minutes later the lead was doubled when Darren Holden hit a speculative effort from the angle of the penalty area, and it ended up in the far corner. Cross or shot? Consett didn’t care, it was 2-0.

On 32 minutes it was almost three when Jake Orrell’s cross picked out Slocombe, whose diving header brought a good save from McHugh.

Consett enjoyed a stroke of luck on 35 minutes when Ashington hit the post for a second time, this time through Jack Butler, but the game swayed heavily in the visitors’ direction on the stroke of half-time when their hosts were reduced to 10 men.

Pearson ran onto a similar pass to the one which had brought his goal, and went down under a challenge from Thomas Bramley. Ashington thought he got the ball, the referee judged otherwise, and showed the centre-back a straight red card.

To add insult to injury Consett almost scored from the resulting free-kick, but McHugh made a good save from Matty Cornish.

Half-time: Ashington 0 Consett 2

Ashington made a double substitution for the second half in a bid to salvage something from the game, but Consett went straight at their opponents from the off, and could have extended their lead just a minute in when Carr’s shot was saved and Pearson put the rebound wide with the goal gaping.

He made no such mistake in the 49th minute when excellent work by Cornish and Holden down the left saw the latter pick out Dale Pearson 10 yards out, and he fired home left-footed for 3-0.

Holden was also causing havoc down the left, and on 52 minutes he got to the byline and pulled the ball back for Slocombe, who fired just wide. Four minutes later Pearson could have had a hat-trick after McHugh made a fantastic reaction save to prevent Luke Salmon putting through his own goal, but the No 9 put his follow-up header wide.

A surging run by Cornish saw him set up Carr, whose shot brought a great save from McHugh at the foot of his post. Then Smith showed superb vision to pick out Holden’s run, and the wing-back brought another good save from the overworked keeper.

It wasn’t quite one-way traffic, and Consett almost gave a goal away in the 72nd minute when a misplaced pass by Nick Allen let in Butler, but skipper Arjun Purewal spared his teammate’s blushes with a fine saving tackle. Kyle Hayes, who’d had a quiet afternoon, preserved his clean sheet with a couple of late saves from Ashington’s new signing Paul Robinson, including one effort direct from a corner which he pushed over the bar.

Ali Alshabeeb and Carl Lawson both had chances to add to the scoreline as Consett finished the game on top, but they were more than satisfied with three goals, a clean sheet, and, most importantly, three points.
ATTENDANCE: 150