Report

Consett hit the ground running in their opening pre-season friendly, beating Birtley Town 5-1 at Belle View Stadium.

The visitors, who finished 16th in Northern League Division One last season, had the better of the game’s early exchanges.

Consett were grateful to teenage keeper Elliott Claydon for a super reaction save from Reece Harrison’s well-struck 25-yard volley which prevented them going behind after just two minutes.

Callum Smith fired just over when clean through and ex-Steelman Scott Heslop saw a header cleared off the line as the visitors made most of the early running.

But Consett – whose 21-man squad included the core of last season’s side plus a host of new faces and a couple of trialists – grew into the game.

They had their first chance after half an hour when last season’s top scorer Isaac Walker burst through, only to be denied by a goal-line clearance by Sam Hedley.

They took the lead on 42 minutes when good work by Marc Costello set up Isaac Walker on the left. He jinked his way past two defenders before smashing a right-footed shot past the helpless keeper to make it 1-0.

Walker almost doubled the lead a minute later when he was played in by Will Constantin, but his first-time effort from the edge of the box flashed just over the bar.

On the stroke of half-time Walker turned provider with a deft pass which released Calvin Smith, who saw the Birtley keeper off his line and lobbed him from 18 yards for 2-0.

Consett made nine changes at the break, with only Smith remaining from the starting line-up.

Birtley reduced the arrears on 65 minutes when Consett old boy Kaleb Young spotted Harry Moss off his line and tried an audacious effort from the halfway line which the stranded keeper got a hand to but couldn’t keep out.

On 78 minutes the home side’s two-goal lead was restored when Donny Holdsworth dinked a lovely cross to the back post for young striker Cobi Jones to head home from close range.

Holdsworth saw a shot cleared off the line by Josh Strassheim and sub keeper Dom Flood saved Lewis Leech’s follow-up as the Steelmen turned the screw.

Two minutes later it was 4-1 as Donny Holdsworth picked up the ball on the edge of the area, made space for a shot and finished low into the bottom corner.

And on 85 minutes it was 5-1 as Lewis Leech seized on a poor clearance from the keeper and unselfishly set up Cobi Jones, who made no mistake for his second of the game.
MATCH REPORT: GARY WELFORD
PICTURES: KENNY TAYLOR & KEITH MARLEY

CONSETT: 1st half: 1 Elliott Claydon, 2 Jack Patterson, 3 Jack Ledger, 4 Calvin Smith, 5 Liam Colledge, 6 Trialist (Lewis Heap) (sub Dean Armstrong 15), 7 Ben Ramsey, 8 Marc Costello (captain), 9 Eddie Thomas, 10 Will Constantin, 11 Isaac Walker.
2nd half: 1 Harry Moss, 12 Jordan Patterson, 14 Charlie Exley, 4 Calvin Smith (sub Marc Costello xx), 16 Dean Armstrong, 15 Trialist (Oliver Walton), 19 Matty Todd (sub Will Constantin xx), 17 Lewis Leech, 20 Donny Holdsworth, 18 Cobi Jones, 21 Archie Small.

BIRTLEY TOWN: 1 Decklan Greenwood, 2 Josh Strassheim, 3 Lewis Exley, 4 Jack Honour, 5 Sam Hedley, 6 Kyle Wharton, 7 Ben Campbell, 8 Kaleb Young, 9 Scott Heslop, 10 Callum Smith, 11 Reece Harrison. Subs (all used): Alex Francis, Dom Flood (GK), Finn Raine, Dean Chipperfield, Sam Dinsley, Trialist, Trialist.
ATTENDANCE: 145.