Report

Consett will be in the draw for the 1st Qualifying Round of the Emirates FA Cup after a dramatic afternoon of football at Belle View Stadium.

They came from two goals down against higher-ranked opponents Ossett United to draw 2-2, and then won a sudden death penalty shootout 5-4 to secure their place in the next round.

Despite kicking into a strong wind in the first half, the Northern Premier League side led 2-0 at half-time, even though their hosts had had better chances.

Ossett had the first chance of the game, just a couple of minutes in, when their experienced striker Tom Greaves tested Kyle Hayes, who turned the ball behind at the expense of a corner.

On six minutes Consett had their first chance, when good work by Dale Pearson and Luke Carr set up Calvin Smith, whose low effort was turned round the base of the near post by Ossett keeper Max Dearnley – the first of many saves he would make in an outstanding performance.

A minute later he was called into action again, as Ali Alshabeeb set up Carr, whose well-struck shot brought a flying save from the keeper. Alshabeeb then wanted a penalty for handball after he had an effort blocked, but it was a hopeful appeal.

It was against the run of play that Ossett went ahead on 15 minutes through an Arjun Purewal own goal as the Consett skipper tried to stop Luke Blackburn’s cross reaching the lurking Greaves.

Consett continued to take the game to their opponents, and Purewal had a chance when Carr floated in a free-kick, but couldn’t direct his header properly under challenge.

Midway through the half Jake Orrell looked set to put Consett on level terms when Purewal’s pass sent him clear through the middle, but Dearnley stood up well to save, and for good measure also thwarted Alshabeeb’s follow-up, even though he was called offside.

Having ridden the home side’s pressure, Ossett had their best spell of the game. Aaron Haswell’s corner found centre-back Jack Cowgill, whose header was cleared off the line, and then Haswell won the ball, drove forward and fired into the side netting.

The No 11 was involved again as Ossett doubled their lead in ther 39th minute. He swung in a corner from the right, and skipper Jack Stockdill fired home on the volley to make it 2-0.

Darren Holden fired wide and Smith found Orrell’s ball into the box a stretch too far as Consett finished the half back on the attack, but when the half-time whistle went, they were still two goals down.

Half-time: Consett 0 Ossett United 2

Both sides made a change for the second half, with Max Russell replacing Carr for Consett, and Nick Guest coming on for Nash Connolly for Ossett.

Consett were immediately back on the attack, and Ossett centre-back Cowgill needed lengthy treatment which ended with him having his wrist bandaged after he was flattened by Purewal as they contested a corner.

The Steelmen didn’t have to wait long for the goal which got them right back in the game. Orrell floated in a free-kick and Ross Wilkinson glanced in a header, pictured below, which bounced back into play off the stanchion, with Pearson netting the rebound, just to make sure.

And five minutes later it was 2-2 and game on when Calvin Smith’s low, hard cross picked out Ali Alshabeeb, who levelled from a few yards out, pictured below.

Pearson became the first player booked for a poor tackle on Harry Viggars, and then the Ossett No 6 was also shown a yellow card for returning to the field without permission after treatment. Luke Hogg would shortly follow for a crude lunge on Darren Holden.

Consett had a chance to take the lead on 72 minutes when Orrell’s ball in from the right was helped on by Smith, and Wilkinson’s header was blocked. The ball dropped kindly for the big centre-half, but he blazed over from close range.

The game was wide open now, with both sides going for the win, and Hayes, who hadn’t had a lot to do, did well to beat out a shot from Eliot Harrison which bounced just in front of him in the 75th minute.

Two minutes later Consett were almost caught napping. After conceding a free-kick they momentarily lost their concentration, allowing Blackburn to take the kick quickly, and he found Haswell, whose curling effort came back off the bar.

Pearson looked much sharper for Consett than he had last week, and it was his low driven cross which Blackburn almost deflected past his own goalkeeper in the 79th minute, with Dearnley making a superb reaction save.

Three minutes later Pearson thought he should have had a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Viggars, but the referee was unimpressed and waved play on. The final chance of the afternoon fell to Lewis Green, who made space for a shot, but was denied by another good save from Dearnley at the near post.

Five minutes of added time failed to produce a matchwinning opportunity for either side, so with no extra time being played in the FA Cup this season, it was straight to penalties.

Full-time: Consett 2 Ossett United 2

Here’s how the shootout unfolded, with Ossett kicking first.

0-1 Tom Greaves scores for Ossett
1-1 Jermaine Metz scores for Consett
1-2 Nick Guest scores for Ossett
1-2 advantage Ossett as Max Dearnley saves from Simon Jakab
1-3 Aaron Haswell scores for Ossett
2-3 Carl Lawson scores for Consett
2-3 Kyle Hayes saves from Jack Cowgill, to revive Consett’s hopes
3-3 Dale Pearson levels for Consett
3-4 Eliot Harrison scores for Ossett
4-4 Kyle Hayes scores for Consett, to take it to sudden death

4-4 Ossett’s Seon Ripley hits the bar
5-4 Darren Holden scores to take Consett through

CONSETT: 1 Kyle Hayes, 2 Jermaine Metz, 3 Darren Holden, 4 Lewis Green, 5 Arjun Purewal (captain), 6 Ross Wilkinson, 7 Jake Orrell, 8 Calvin Smith (sub Simon Jakab 78), 9 Dale Pearson, 10 Luke Carr (sub Max Russell 46), 11 Ali Alshabeeb (sub Carl Lawson 87). Subs not used: Josh Wilson (GK), Nick Allen, matty Slocombe, Michael Mackay.
OSSETT UNITED: Max Dearnley, 2 Luke Blackburn, 3 Cameron Clark, 4 Luke Hogg (sub Seon Ripley 82), 5 Jack Cowgill, 6 Harry Viggars, 7 Nash Connolly (sub Nick Guest 46), 8 Jack Stockdill (captain) (sub Ben Teasdale 66), Tom Greaves, 10 Eliot Harrison, 11 Aaron Haswell. Subs not used: Ross Hardaker, James Burke.
ATTENDANCE: 300