Tag: andy coyles

andy coyles

Consett manager Andy Coyles pleased at how his side has adapted to the Northern Premier League

Consett manager Andy Coyles has praised his team for how they’ve stepped up to the new challenge of the Northern Premier league.

Yesterday’s 5-0 win over Carlton Town made it four unbeaten games out of five at the higher level, and the manager is pleased with how his revamped team has done so far.

He told BBC Radio Newcastle: “It was a convincing win but we weren’t actually happy with our first-half performance.

“We thought we were a little bit complacent all over the park, so there was a few words said at half-time and we actually began to settle into the game in the second half.

“We were a little bit more composed with the football, far more organised defensively, but if you’d asked us to take 5-0 before the game we would have took it with both hands.

“Every team’s a tough team [in the Northern Premier League], and the style of play is a lot different to what we were used to in the Northern League.

“We’ve found it’s a bit more direct, it’s far more organised, where the Northern League was more of a footballing league.

“But I think we’ve managed to hold our own in both departments, played football at the right times in the right areas, and we have defended very well and been very resilient when called upon.

“We’ve been really pleased with how we’ve dealt with the transition from Northern League football to Northern Premier football.”

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Consett share eight goals with Ashington in end-of-season thriller

Consett twice came from two goals down to draw 4-4 with Ashington as they brought their Northern League campaign to a close today at a sunny Belle View Stadium.

Andy Coyles named an attacking line-up, which started the game well, but found his side trailing 2-0 after the visitors – Division One’s top scorers – struck twice in three minutes.

The first came on 14 minutes as Dean Briggs took advantage of a defensive mix-up to open the scoring, and two minutes later their lead was doubled as Consett’s makeshift defence failed to clear their lines and Lewis Suddick fired home.

On 18 minutes Scott Heslop reduced the arrears with his 7th goal in 16 games since signing from Dunston, bravely beating Ashington keeper Adam McHugh to Colin Larkin’s cross to head home.

On 33 minutes Dale Pearson hit the 20 mark for the season, beating the visitors’ offside trap to smash the ball past the keeper.

Consett almost got their noses in front in first-half injury time when a superb 25-yarder from Lewis Green rattled the crossbar, and Larkin was inches away from turning in the rebound.

But in the third minute of added time it was Ashington who regained the lead when Dean Briggs spotted Kyle Hayes off his line and arrowed a shot past him from 40 yards.

Ashington went into the break 3-2 up, and within eight minutes of the restart had restored their two-goal lead when an excellent pass sent Liam Doyle to the byline and he pulled the ball back for Lewis Suddick to finish from close range.

On 69 minutes Consett hit the woodwork for the second time when Jake Orrell’s free-kick came back off the post, and Green was denied by McHugh from the follow-up.

But on 70 minutes another setpiece saw Orrell whip a corner in for Calvin Smith to glance in a header and make it 3-4.

On 73 minutes Carl Lawson met a deep cross from Nick Cassidy, and saw his effort cleared off the line, and 10 minutes later another Cassidy cross by headed just wide by Larkin as Consett piled on the pressure.

The fully-deserved equaliser came in the 84th minute, when Jake Orrell smashed a free-kick from 25 yards into the top corner to make it 4-4 with his 11th goal of the season.

Both sides had chances to win the game, but a draw was probably about right for a game which was a wonderful advert for the Northern League.

Consett will take plenty of positives into their play-off for a place in the Northern Premier League on Saturday 30 April. Now they must hope they can get some of their injured defenders fit for the one-off showdown against opponents who are, for the moment, unknown.

  • Full match report, stats and more pictures to follow.

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Consett suffer a huge blow as they’re beaten in their final away game of the season at Penrith

Consett’s hopes of a first-ever Northern League title are hanging by a thread after the last away game of the season ended in a 2-1 defeat at Penrith today.

Andy Coyles’ team needed a win at his former club to keep the pressure on second-placed North Shields, who have four games in hand over the leaders.

But for the second weekend in a row the Steelmen threw away the lead to suffer a disappointing defeat, and the gap at the top has now closed to three points after North Shields won.

Consett took the lead at in the 24th minute at Frenchfield Park when Scott Heslop played the ball off Penrith skipper Grant Davidson and a huge deflection, pictured top, gave keeper Arran Taylor no chance.

Heslop limped off in the 36th minute, to be replaced by David Dowson, and the sub had a chance almost immediately from Darren Holden’s pass, but couldn’t get a clean shot away, pictured below.

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David Dowson had a chance to increase Consett’s lead just after coming on as sub. Pic: Gary Welford.

Holden himself then had two decent opportunities to increase Consett’s lead before the break, but missed both, and it remained 1-0 at half-time.

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Darren Holden’s dinked effort beat the Penrith keeper but went wide. Pic: Gary Welford.

Five minutes into the second half Jake Orrell had Consett’s best chance of the game when Dowson flicked on Nick Cassidy’s free-kick, but the No 10 was denied from close range by the keeper.

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Jake Orrell was denied by the Penrith keeper early in the second half. Pic: Gary Welford.

It was a big save, as the Cumbrians – in desperate need of points for their relegation fight – equalised in the 63rd minute, when Alfie Brunskill took advantage of a defensive error to fire home.

With news filtering through that title rivals North Shields were beating Guisborough 4-2, Consett needed a goal, but when it came in the 88th minute the matchwinning strike was at the other end.

Jamie Armstrong picked out Davidson with a right-wing corner, and although Consett keeper Kyle Hayes made a good save from the centre-back’s powerful header, Luke Brown reacted quickest to the loose ball to smash home the winner from close range, pictured below.

No 6 Luke Brown (left) smashes home Penrith’s late winner. Pic: Gary Welford.

Consett now need to win their final two home league games, against in-form Northallerton Town and seventh-placed Ashington, to give themselves any hope of the championship.

North Shields have now completed their home fixtures, and end the season with six consecutive away games, starting at Thornaby on Wednesday.

Consett take a break from league action by hosting West Auckland in the Division One Cup quarter-final on Tuesday, but could be toppled as leaders for the first time since September 1 by the time they next kick a ball in Division One.

  • Full match report, stats and more pictures to follow.
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Consett suffer setback after losing part one of the Steelmen’s derby to Redcar

Leaders Consett suffered an unexpected setback in their quest for the Northern League title today as they were beaten 2-1 at home by Redcar Athletic.

With the pitch at Green Lane waterlogged, the first-ever meeting between the clubs – billed as the ‘Steelmen’s derby’ – was switched to Belle View at less than 24 hours’ notice.

But there were no home comforts for Consett, who went behind early on, equalised just before half-time, only to concede again late on.

Manager Andy Coyles made seven changes to the side which had won at North Shields in the cup in midweek, but it was Redcar who took the initiative by scoring in the ninth minute.

They were awarded a free-kick on the left, which was whipped in by Lee Farrington, and Kamal Ait El Haj was on hand to score from close range. It was his first goal for the club on his first start, after three sub appearances.

James Martin and Jake Orrell both curled chances wide and Dale Pearson and Alex Francis were off target with headers as Consett responded well.

Just when it seemed like the visitors would get to the break with their lead intact, Consett equalised two minutes into added time. Luke Carr’s pass sent Colin Larkin in on goal, and the Irishman made no mistake to plunder his 12th goal of the season, pictured below.

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Colin Larkin makes it 1-1 in first-half injury time. Pic: Gary Welford.

The second half saw Scott Heslop on for Pearson, and Carr forced Redcar keeper Matthew Bateman into a good save within a minute of the restart.

Larkin had a great chance on 55 minutes after Orrell found him at the back post, and although he controlled it superbly and beat his man, he dragged his shot wide.

Consett had plenty of possession, but created few clear-cut chances against a very well-organised Redcar side, who almost regained their lead in the 61st minute, but for a superb tackle by Dan Capewell on an opponent who looked clean through.

Both sides rang the changes, with the game losing some of its momentum as a result, but it was Redcar who dug out a winner in the 84th minute when Nicky Martin’s cross found top scorer Isaac Walker, who grabbed his 19th goal of the season.

Consett threw the kitchen sink at their visitors, but couldn’t find a way through, even with the help of six minutes of added time due to a couple of lengthy injury stoppages.

When the final whistle went the home side had suffered their first home league defeat in five months, but just how damaging it is to their title aspirations remains to be seen.

  • Full match report, stats and more pictures HERE.