Report

Consett beat Nobby Solano’s Blyth Spartans 2-0 at Belle View Stadium in their penultimate pre-season friendly.

The former Newcastle United favourite took charge after Spartans were relegated from the National League into the Northern Premier League at the end of last season.

The visitors’ side included former Steelman Ben Milburn, who swapped Belle View for Croft Park during the close season, but his return was an unsuccessful one as Consett scored two second-half goals.

There were few chances in the first half, but most of them fell Consett’s way. Ben Ramsay came closing to scoring with a header in the sixth minute, with the keeper tipping the ball onto the bar, but it wouldn’t have counted, as he was flagged offside.

Blyth largely restricted Consett to efforts from distance, but on 36 minutes they were grateful to goalkeeper Harrison Bond, who’s just joined them on a season-long loan from Gateshead, for a good save low down from Isaac Walker.

Half-time was reached with the game goalless, and Consett began the second half with renewed purpose, with Jake Jensen firing a free-kick just over from a position wide on the left on 49 minutes.

Seven minutes later Consett took a deserved lead, with midfielder Calvin Smith scoring at the second attempt after Stephen Hall challenged the Blyth keeper for Ben Ramsey’s cross from the right.

Hall missed a couple of chances, and Smith and Ramsey put efforts straight at Bond, who then made the best save of the game to deny ex-Blyth man Isaac Walker after Hall put him clean through in the 85th minute.

The second goal came in the 89th minute, when Wil Shaw started and finished an excellent team goal which also involved Jake Jensen, James McGeorge, Hall and Smith.

CONSETT: 1 James Anderson, 2 Jordan Patterson (sub Harvey Rudd 64), 3 Kieren Aplin (sub Charlie Watt 64), 4 Jake Jensen, 5 Liam Colledge (sub Ryan McKinnon 69), 6 Dan Capewell (captain) (sub Dominic Curl 69) 7 Wil Shaw, 8 Calvin Smith, 9 Adam Lennox (sub Stephen Hall 46), 10 Ben Ramsey (sub James McGeorge 64), 11 Isaac Walker.

BLYTH SPARTANS: 1 Harrison Bond, 2 Joe Oliver, 3 Trialist A, 4 Trialist B, 5 Ben Milburn, 6 Harrison Clark 7 Michael Woods (captain) (sub Trialist E 31) 8 Lucas Reed 9 Trialist C, 10 Charlie Aitken 11 Trialist D.

ATTENDANCE: 246.