Consett treated their supporters to a Friday night football feast with their best performance of the season so far tonight, beating league leaders Hebburn Town 3-0 at a misty, wet Belle View.
Continue reading “Consett bounce back from cup exits with excellent win over league leaders Hebburn”
Consett’s six-game unbeaten start to the season came to an end today when they were knocked out of the FA Cup, losing 2-0 to Bradford Park Avenue at Belle View Stadium.
The visitors are in the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League, having just been relegated from the National League North last season.
They made their class count in a close game where they scored a goal in each half, but Consett, from a division below, pushed them all the way.
After a tight opening spell, the Steelmen had a good chance on 24 minutes when a corner from the right found centre-back Dan Capewell, but Bradford keeper George Sykes-Kenworthy saved his header at point-blank range, pictured below.
A minute later the visitors were ahead when Will Calligan’s pass found Brad Dockerty, whose shot beat home keeper James Anderson at his near post.
Capewell had another chance right at the end of the half, but put his diving header wide of the far post, pictured below.
Consett took the game to the higher-ranked side in the second half, with Capewell and Scott Fenwick both sending headers over the crossbar.
Their best chance of an equaliser came on 75 minutes when Arjun Purewal thumped a header against the bar from a couple of yards with the keeper beaten, pictured top.
Bradford wrapped up the win with a breakaway goal in added time when Consett got caught pushing forward, and Zak Kersey set up fellow sub Myles Las Bastide to score.
Consett made it six points from two games over the Bank Holiday weekend after an excellent 2-0 win at newly-promoted Ashington today.
Manager Tony Fawcett was without the services of six of his squad for the trip to Woodhorn Lane, and had just one experienced sub on the bench.
But a goal early in each half and an excellent defensive display was enough to secure the points against the Colliers.
The Steelmen took the lead on nine minutes, when good pressure by Scott Fenwick forced the home defence into a mistake. The ball was picked up by Jack Gibbons, and his pass played Wil Shaw through on goal, and he made no mistake for his third goal in two games and fourth of the season, pictured top.
There was little to choose between the teams in the first half, with Consett content to let Ashington have plenty of the ball.
The visitors had a decent penalty appeal turned down on 37 minutes when Shaw went down under challenge from Nathan Buddle, but the referee was unimpressed and waved play on.
Ashington’s best chance of the half came two minutes before the break when Dan Maguire turned his marker on the edge of the area and fired a well-struck effort just over the bar.
The first few minutes of the second half saw a great block by Arjun Purewal deny Craig Spooner, while at the other end Gibbons fired into the side netting and Ben Ramsey brought a good save from home keeper Karl Dryden.
But on 56 minutes it was 2-0 to Consett when a long ball out from the back saw Scott Fenwick force an error from a defender and run through to slot home past Dryden.
Ashington almost pulled on back on 79 minutes when Consett twice cleared the ball off the line, but the visitors had a chance to wrap up the points four minutes later when Ryan McKinnon’s pass sent Shaw through and his shot flashed just wide of the far post.
On 87 minutes there was a let-off for Consett when Ashington sub Mason Hardy for once found a way through their defence, only for his shot to hit the outside of the post.
Despite five minutes of added time there was no time for the Colliers to give themselves a lifeline, and it was Consett who claimed the spoils after a classic away performance in front of a bumper crowd of 696.
Consett remain unbeaten in four league and cup games this season after a hard-fought 0-0 draw against nearest neighbours Dunston tonight.
The Steelmen had lost their last four visits to the UTS Stadium, but could perhaps count themselves unlucky not to have won against opponents who, like themselves, had three straight wins to their name.
There were lots of old boys lining up against their former clubs, with Dan Staples, Michael Pearson, Luke Carr and Dale Pearson starting for Dunston, plus Jack Elliott on the bench, and James Anderson, Dan Capewell and Calvin Smith in the Consett ranks.
With regular skipper Matty Slocombe rested, centre-back Ben Milburn, pictured top, had the honour of leading the team out as captain for the first time.
It was one of the old boys who had the first chance on nine minutes, when a defensive mix-up let in Carr, but Arjun Purewal got back to clear off the line.
On 18 minutes Consett went close when Jake Orrell’s ball found Smith, and his cut-back looked to have set up the lively Wil Shaw for the opening goal, but he was denied by some excellent last-ditch defending by Jude Swailes.
The game exploded in the 21st minute when Dunston defender Chris McDonald was shown a straight red card, pictured below, for a high two-footed lunge at Shaw.
The No 3 was clearly riled after not being awarded a decision against Zak Atkinson moments earlier, but the challenge was a bad one and Shaw was lucky to escape serious injury.
With Dunston reduced to 10 men, Consett were enjoying lots of possession, and Jack Gibbons went on a mazy run which ended with him shooting wide from 20 yards.
On 35 minutes Consett had a big chance when their high press caught Dunston trying to play out from their own box. Atkinson won possession and fed Kaleb Young, who skewed his effort well wide, pictured below.
Dunston changed their set-up at half-time, and took the game to their visitors, forcing them on to the back foot, without really creating much in terms of clear-cut chances.
The nearest they came to scoring was in the 51st minute, when Capewell sliced a clearance across the face of his own goal as he tried to clear Robinson’s cross.
Consett’s best chance of the game came in the 81st minute when Shaw hit a fine opportunist strike from 25 yards, which Staples did well to tip over the crossbar for a corner.
Despite five minutes of added time, neither side could find a winner, and both remain unbeaten this season after taking a point apiece.
Consett recorded their best friendly win so far, scoring five times for the second time this week as they beat Silsden 5-0 at a rain-swept Belle View today.
Summer signing Wil Shaw was the star of the show, scoring twice to take his tally to five goals in five pre-season games, and could have had at least a hat-trick after missing two other good chances.
The visitors, who play in the Northern Counties East League, had the game’s first chance inside two minutes, but Casey Stewart put his shot into the side netting.
But Consett took control in the 12th minute when Zak Atkinson scored from the penalty spot after new signing Jack Gibbons had been brought down.
On 27 minutes it was 2-0 when Ben Ramsey played a corner to Shaw, whose cross picked out Arjun Purewal to head home his second goal in two games, pictured below.
Four minutes later it was 3-0 as Atkinson played Wil Shaw clean through, and the in-form attacker buried the ball past the keeper.
Silsden again started the second half quicker, and Consett were grateful to keeper Aaron Steavens for tipping Jake Maltby’s dipping effort from the edge of the area around the post.
Consett almost increased their lead when a defensive mix-up gave Atkinson a chance, but the keeper saved, and then a defender got back to head Ramsey’s follow-up off the line.
Wil Shaw got his second goal in the 64th minute, finishing from close range, pictured top, after a great delivery from the right flank by Josh Baggs.
Shaw and Calvin Smith had further chances for Consett, and Steavens denied Stewart again at the other end before Kaleb Young completed the scoring in the 84th minute with his first goal for the club.
Consett’s next scheduled friendly is on Tuesday, 25 July, when they are away to Tow Law Town. Kick-off at Ironworks Road is 7.30pm.
Consett returned to winning ways as they beat near-neighbours Tow Law Town 5-1 at Belle View Stadium in tonight’s hastily-arranged pre-season friendly.
The Lawyers stepped in at the 11th hour after our originally scheduled opponents, Newcastle Benfield, pulled out this afternoon, saying they were unable to field a side.
And a young visiting side, including several teenagers, acquitted themselves well, despite the margin of defeat.
It took Consett until the 28th minute to find a way past them, when Arjun Purewal rose highest to head home from Jake Orrell’s left-wing corner, pictured top.
Calvin Smith almost made it two in the 35th minute from Purewal’s cross, but was denied by a superb save from Kyle Seymour in the Tow Law goal.
On 39 minutes the Steelmen did double their lead when an underhit backpass left Wil Shaw in on goal, and he finishing confidently for his third goal of pre-season.
Two minutes into the second half it was 3-0, when half-time substitute Zak Atkinson flicked the ball on to Calvin Smith, who made no mistake from six yards.
Ten minutes later it was 4-0, as Consett recycled possession from a corner, and Orrell’s inch-perfect cross picked out Dan Capewell, who buried a header into the far corner.
Shaw almost made it five when he tried a dinky chip after cutting in from the left, but it bounced on top of the bar and our.
Tow Law’s heads didn’t drop, however, and it took a fine save from Consett keeper Aaron Steavens to deny them a consolation goal on 69 minutes.
A minute later they got their reward for their perseverance when the referee spotted an infringement from the resulting corner, and skipper Brandon Mallaburn made it 4-1 from the spot.
The last goal came with the last kick of the game when Shaw flicked on a long ball for Ben Ramsey to run onto, and finish right-footed past sub keeper James Barron.
Consett’s next pre-season game is on Saturday 22 July, when they host West Yorkshire club Silsden, who play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, Kick-off at Belle View Stadium is 3pm.
Consett’s bid to secure Northern Premier League football next season goes on after they lost 4-3 to high-flying Stockton Town in a thrilling game at Belle View today.
Continue reading “Consett lose out to promotion-chasing Stockton Town in seven-goal Easter Monday thriller”
Consett’s bid to guarantee Northern Premier League football for next season will have to wait after they gave away a winning lead today and lost 2-1 at Carlton Town.
The Steelmen got off to a good start and they took the lead after just five minutes when Nathan Greenwood beat the home keeper at his near post from the left angle of the box, pictured above.
Danny Barlow was the width of an upright away from making it 2-0 when his clever lob beat the keeper but came back off the foot of the post in the 15th minute, pictured below.
But things began to unravel when centre-back Dan Capewell suffered a serious facial injury in an aerial challenge and had to go off.
Carlton forced a succession of corners and free-kicks as they put their visitors under a lot of pressure, but Consett defended stoutly, and didn’t give away any clear-cut chances.
The home side were convinced they had scored a minute before half-time, claiming Niall Davie’s inswinging corner had crossed the line before Consett keeper Mark Foden caught the ball, pictured below.
The referee thought otherwise, and Consett reached half-time a goal to the good.
However, that didn’t last long, as two minutes into the second half Carlton levelled. Consett didn’t deal with a ball into the box and Niall Davie turned and fired into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.
The goal spurred Carlton on, and they were unlucky not to take the lead just before the hour when Alex Troke’s free-kick rattled the crossbar, and Consett skipper Arjun Purewal blocked Jared Holmes’s follow-up on the line, pictured below.
Foden saved well with his feet from Aaron O’Connor, but the game swung in Carlton’s favour in the 73rd minute when Consett defender Ben Milburn was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.
The big centre-half’s protestations that a push from behind caused him to handle the ball as he jumped to head a long throw-in fell on deaf ears and the Steelmen were reduced to 10 men.
Centre-forward Alex Troke made no mistake with the resulting penalty, pictured below, putting Carlton firmly in the driving seat with a 2-1 lead.
Niall Hylton, who was sent off when Carlton lost 5-0 at Consett back in August, almost made it 3-1 when his shot came back off the post, and in truth never looked like salvaging a point after a disappointing second-half performance.
Next up for the Steelmen is a home game against promotion-chasing Stockton Town on Easter Monday, with a 3pm kick-off at Belle View.
Big defender Dan Capewell was the toast of Belle View Stadium tonight as his late, late goal gave Consett a 3-2 win over Cleethorpes Town.
He popped up in the visitors’ penalty area in the fourth minute of added time at the end of the game to steer the ball home and give the Steelmen a dramatic victory.
The result is a huge boost to their bid towards securing safety in the Northern Premier League Division One East, taking them seven points clear of the relegation play-off places.
Manager Tony Fawcett was able to name the same starting XI as he had for Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Sheffield – something he hasn’t been able to do too often since he took the hotseat.
And his side surprised their impressive visitors by taking the lead in the 37th minute, when right-back Josh Baggs fired home a rebound after Dylan Garvey’s header from Calvin Smith’s cross was saved by the keeper.
However, the lead lasted only six minutes, as Cleethorpes broke quickly from defending a Consett free-kick, and dangerman Curtis Bateson beat keeper Mark Foden to a long ball and lobbed it into the unguarded net.
Cleethorpes, who parted company with their manager last week, took the lead within three minutes of the restart when Consett failed to deal with a corner, and Edwin Essel finished from close range.
Consett equalised on 71 minutes when Danny Barlow collected the ball after the keeper made an unbelievable point-blank save from skipper Arjun Purewal, and curled it home for his first goal for the club, pictured above.
Just when it seemed like Consett were going to have to settle for a point, Jake Orrell floated a cross into the box and Dan Capewell was there to meet it from six yards to score the winner, pictured below, and send the majority of the 363 crowd home happy.
Back-to-back wins mean Consett are now 10th, with 43 points, with four games remaining, starting at Carlton Town on Saturday, followed by the Easter Monday visit of Stockton Town, KO 3pm.
Consett have been drawn into the heart of the Northern Premier League relegation fight after suffering a 3-0 defeat today at Grantham Town, the division’s second-bottom side.
Conceding two goals in the first half left Tony Fawcett’s team with a mountain to climb, and a third late in the game left them just a point outside the relegation play-off places.
The Steelmen’s side was much stronger than the one which drew at home to Ossett United last week, with Ben Milburn, skipper Arjun Purewal and Adam Mitchell returning to the defence.
But it was Consett’s failure to take three good chances in the first half which ultimately cost them the game.
They fell behind after just five minutes when Danny Barlow gave away a free-kick in a dangerous position on the right of the penalty area. McCrory floated the ball in and burly striker Gregg Smith powered home an unmarked header at the back post to make it 1-0.
It took until midway through the half for Consett to show their attacking teeth, when Milburn recycled a half-cleared free-kick to set up Jake Orrell, but the keeper was off his line quickly to save at the expense of a corner.
From the resulting flag-kick centre forward Scott Fenwick had a clear header at goal, but put his powerful effort, pictured below, inches over the bar.
Grantham almost doubled their lead on 37 minutes when a mix-up between Consett keeper Mark Foden and Milburn saw Lee Shaw nip in, but his lobbed effort bounced wide of the far post.
On 42 minutes Consett had another chance to level when Barlow was pushed over right on the edge of the box. He took the resulting free-kick himself, but his left-footed effort narrowly cleared the crossbar, pictured below.
A minute before the break Grantham doubled their lead. A quick break saw Shaw crash a shot against the bar, and left-back Joe Stacey reacted to the rebound quickest to fire home.
Being 2-0 down at half-time left the Steelmen with a mountain to climb, but for the first quarter of an hour of the second half they gave it a real go.
Fenwick hit a rising 25-yarder over the top, Nathan Greenwood had one shot, pictured below, saved and another blocked, and Matty Slocombe fired inches wide from 25 yards.
Again the misses would come back to haunt Consett, as they conceded again in the 77th minute to kill any hope of a comeback. A corner from the left saw Foden’s punch fall straight to Ashton Hall, who smashed it back past him on the volley.
There was no way back from that, and the defeat means it’s now eight games since Consett won a game, picking up just three points out of the last 24.
Wins for Lincoln United and Shildon reduced Consett’s cushion between their 14th place and the relegation play-off places to just one point, though they can take slight solace from the fact that Brighouse Town and Carlton Town – who we face in our final two away games – both lost today.
Tadcaster Albion, who lost 2-0 at home to Stocksbridge Park Steels, are relegated.
