Consett sent out a message to their rivals at the top of the Northern League 1st Division with a thrilling 6-3 win over North Shields on this day two years ago.
Continue reading “On this day: 24 November 2018 – Consett beat North Shields in a nine-goal Belle View thriller”
Consett eased through the 1st Round of the Durham Challenge Cup on this day in 2014, winning 5-2 at Ryhope CW – with the game effectively decided in six dramatic first-half minutes.
Manager Kenny Lindoe made just one change to the side which had drawn with Newcastle Benfield for the Tuesday night game, with Mark Eccles coming in at left-back, and Josh Gray pushing into midfield in place of the injured Jonny Wright.
With Adam Nicholls, Scott Martindale and David Brown also injured and Luke Sullivan and Josie Longstaff unavailable, goalkeeping coach Ben Cole was named among the subs.
Ryhope included two popular ex-Consett players in their starting XI, goalkeeper Barry Poskett and midfielder David Pounder, pictured top, and both were to play prominent roles in an incident-packed first half.
Pounder got the home side off to the perfect start, collecting a cross from the left and smashing a left-footed effort into the top corner from 25 yards after just two minutes.
Within a minute Poskett had spread himself well to save an effort from Aris Guerin-Lokonga, with Michael Mackay’s follow-up effort blocked by a defender.
Calvin Smith then hit a 25-yard free-kick well over the top, before supplying the incisive pass for Aris Guerin-Lokonga to level on 12 minutes, drawing the keeper and firing home.
Ryhope had a couple of half-chances before the incident on 23 minutes which probably changed the entire course of the game.
Guerin-Lokonga latched onto a through ball and his lob looked certain to put Consett ahead until Poskett instinctively threw up his hands as he raced out of his area to meet The keeper handled the ball on the edge of the D, and after consulting his linesman, the referee showed him a straight red card.
Player-manager Gary Pearson went in goal, but his first task was to pick the ball out of the net three minutes later as Josh Gray‘s cross from the left squirmed under his body at the near post.
Within a minute it was 3-1 as Consett regained possession from the kick-off and Gray’s cross gave Michael Mackay an easy finish from seven yards.
Then on 29 minutes Smith touched a free-kick shot to Josh Gray, who rifled a shot into the top corner to make it 4-1.
The home side were reeling, and eight minutes before half-time a wonderful Smith pass sent Michael Mackay clear, and the striker finished with aplomb past the stand-in keeper for his 21st goal of the season.
Matty Slocombe had a shot blocked, Gray sent another just wide of the far post and, right on half-time, Guerin-Lokonga was denied what looked a clear penalty when he muscled his way past by two defenders and was pulled back, only for the referee to bottle the decision and blow his whistle for half-time.
Half-time: Ryhope CW 1 Consett 5
At 5-1 up, Consett had effectively booked their passage into the 2nd Round and a game at Gateshead, so it was no surprise that they took their foot off the pedal a little.
Chris Youldon was brought on for the second half in place of Ryan Bell, while Ryhope made two changes, bringing on teenage goalkeeper Anthony Rooke for Pearson and midfielder Nathan O’Neill for right-back James Cook.
Within 10 minutes of the restart they’d made it clear that despite being a man shot, they were going to give it a go, as first left-back Martin Metcalfe and then midfielder Matthew Weirs tested Chris Elliott. The Consett keeper then had to get down smartly at his near post to a free-kick from Weirs.
At the other end, Smith hit the bar with a looping header from an Eccles cross, and then wasn’t too far away with a well-struck effort from 25 yards which flew just over the bar. Ryhope had a good chance to reduce the arrears when Weirs’ left-wing corner was headed down by O’Neill, and Craig Hughes volleyed into the ground and over the bar.
Consett made a couple more changes, bringing on Danny Craggs for Carl Piecha (with Slocombe moving to centre-back) and Chris Moore for Gray, and it seemed to perk up their somewhat flat second-half display.
Moore’s pass gave Mackay a chance to complete his hat-trick, though Rooke did well to save at his feet and then benefited from a fortuitous ricochet.
Then Guerin-Lokonga looked odds-on to score after the keeper spilled a left-wing cross, until his shot took a deflection off a defender, hit the post, and was scrambled clear. Rooke did well again to keep out a 25-yard free-kick from Eccles, diving full-length to his right to push it around the post.
To their credit, Ryhope kept taking the game to their higher-ranked opponents, and got their reward with an 89th-minute consolation goal from Metcalfe, who drilled a low shot past Elliott.
The final minute saw Mackay net from a rebound after Rooke couldn’t hold onto Moore’s shot, but the striker was denied by the linesman’s flag, and Consett had to settle for a 5-2 passage into the next round.
Ryhope CW: 1 Barry Poskett, 2 James Cook (sub Nathan O’Neill 46), 3 Martin Metcalfe, 4 Paul Braithwaite, 5 Gary Pearson (sub Anthony Rooke 46), 6 Max Stoker, 7 Matthew Weirs, 8 Craig Hughes, 9 Jack Pounder, 10 David Pounder, 11 Alex Marshall.
Subs not used: Chris Trewick, Philip Hall
Consett: 1 Chris Elliott, 2 Ryan Bell (sub Chris Youldon 46), 3 Mark Eccles, 4 Gilberto Chapim, 5 Carl Piecha (sub Danny Craggs 64), 6 Dan Madden, 7 Matty Slocombe, 8 Calvin Smith, 9 Aris Guerin-Lokonga, 10 Michael Mackay, 11 Josh Gray (sub Chris Moore 70). Subs not used: Adam Nicholls, Ben Cole
Consett showed both sides of their Jekyll and Hyde character in a game against Whitley Bay in this day back in 2008.
The Steelmen eventually ran out comfortable 4-1 winners against a Seasiders side who would end the season by scuppering Consett’s title hopes – read more about that here – and recording the first of three consecutive FA Vase triumphs.
When this game took place at Belle Vue Park on Saturday 8 November, Consett were 2nd in the skilltrainingltd Northern League Division One, having been knocked off the top after losing at Chester-le-Street the week before. Whitley Bay were 11th.
Even within this 90 minutes, Consett’s following were treated to a bit of everything, as for the first half an hour they were a distant second best to their visitors. However, for the rest of the game the performance was as good as the previous week’s defeat at Chester Moor Park had been poor.
Whitley had by far the better of the opening exchanges, threatening as early as the sixth minute when Paul Chow’s low shot forced Consett keeper Paul Gilmore into a good save. Gilmore saved the Steelmen again four minutes later, coming out save with his feet from Bruce Hogg who was left clean through when Carl Piecha missed an attempted clearance.
Adam Emson had shot wide under pressure in Consett’s only serious attack of the first third of the game, but the Steelmen were soon under pressure again, with David Coulson – who would go on to have a brief spell at the club a few years later – heading a left-wing corner over the bar.
The inevitable breakthrough came for the Bay on 25 minutes. After Chow saw a shot blocked and loop up into the air, Chris Fawcett held off his marker to lay the ball off to Bruce Hogg, who hammered it into roof of the net.
It was almost 2-0 a couple of minutes later when Paul Robinson’s ball over the top released Chow, but Gilmore came out smartly to tackle the ever-dangerous striker.
Completely against the run of play, Consett found themselves level in the 36th minute. David Pounder’s right-wing corner dropped in the six yard box and after a goalmouth scramble Carl Piecha poked the ball home to make it 1-1.
The goal acted like an off switch for Whitley, who were simply never in the game thereafter. Andy Cuthbertson sent in a fine cross which Steven Johnson headed at Bay keeper Terry Burke, and then two minutes before half-time Consett took the lead. Jonjo Dickman won an important challenge in the Bay penalty area and the ball broke kindly to Emson, who fired home from eight yards.
Emson should have added another on the stroke of half time when he skinned Darren Timmons and bore down on goal, but Burke stopped Emmo’s effort with his legs.
Half-time: Consett 2 Whitley Bay 1
Burke was much the busier of the two keepers in the second half but could only watch thankfully as Emson’s glancing header from Pounder’s wicked inswinging corner flashed wide.
The Steelmen had a scare just before the hour mark when a right-wing corner was only half cleared as far as Chris Fawcett, whose volley arrived at an awkward height, forcing Gilmore to somehow fumble the ball round the post.
Consett spent much of their time soaking up pressure from their visitors and then hitting them with dangerous attacks, and one such situation midway through the second half resulted in Emson and Johnson up against just one defender, however the attack ended with Johnson shooting harmlessly at Burke.
Another lethal Pounder inswinger almost found the net directly, but Burke tipped it over the bar. Two minutes later though, Consett’s third finally arrived as a result of another counter-attack.
Johnson collected the ball then sent an excellent defence-splitting pass through to the unmarked Emson, who took his chance first time and make no mistake.
This stirred Bay out of their slumbers and on 77 minutes Chris Moore – who would later play for and manage Consett – embarked on a brilliant run past five defenders, only to see Gilmore cut out his cross. Five minutes later substitute Lee Kerr fired in a shot, but Chow deflected it over the bar from in front of goal.
Consett added their fourth in the last minute of normal time. Whitley threw everyone up for a corner, but Emson’s clearance set Johnson on a quick breakaway, and despite being on his own he beat a defender and let fly with a shot that had enough pace to cross the line despite Burke getting both hands to the ball.
There was still time for Bay’s Fawcett and Consett’s Johnson to be denied in one on ones, but there was no further scoring and the Steelmen stormed back to the top of the Northern League with this impressive win.
Full-time: Consett 4 Whitley Bay 1
Consett: 1 Paul Gilmore, 2 Karl Baston, 3 Michael Coulthard, 4 Jonjo Dickman, 5 Carl Piecha, 6 Craig Robson, 7 Chris Scott (sub David Scorer 84), 8 Andrew Cuthbertson, 9 Adam Emson, 10 Steven Johnson, 11 David Pounder. Subs not used: Paul Curry, James Platten, Carl Heiniger, Mattie Moffat.
Whitley Bay: 1 Terry Burke, 2 Darren Timmons, 3 Chris Reid (sub Leon Ryan 46), 4 Craig McFarlane, 5 David Coulson, 6 Bruce Hogg (sub Lee Kerr 60), 7 Chris Moore, 8 Damon Robson, 9 Chris Fawcett, 10 Paul Chow, 11 Paul Robinson (sub Mark Taylor 48). Subs not used: Phil Bell, Darren Reay.
Consett came agonisingly close to clinching a first-ever Northern League title on this day in 2009, only for a defeat at the hands of Wembley-bound Whitley Bay to leave their fate in the hands of others.
It all looked so promising as Consett led 2-0 at Hillheads at half-time. However, the Steelmen were left stunned by a spirited fightback by their hosts, culminating in a dramatic late winner.
In front of a crowd of 599, the highest to see a league game involving Consett for many a year, Kenny Lindoe’s side took the field having been dealt a setback even before the kick off. Keeper Jack Norton dislocated a finger during the warm-up, meaning Paul Gilmore was pressed into service between the sticks.
Any thoughts that this might be a nervous encounter with few goalmouth chances were dispelled quite early on. On a sunny spring day with the pitch in immaculate condition, the stage was set for a classic Northern League encounter.
Consett were first to threaten when Adam Emson teed up Chris Scott who saw his firm drive from just outside the area saved by Bay keeper Terry Burke.
On the quarter-hour mark Whitley produced their first chance of the game when Adam Johnston, spotting Gilmore off his line, tried an audacious chip from the edge of the centre circle, which went just over the bar.
The game continued in an end-to end fashion and after Emson had sent a David Pounder through ball over the target on 26 minutes, play switched immediately to the other goal as Phil Bell sent a 25-yard daisy cutter inches wide.
It was Consett who finally found the net just before the half-hour mark. There was an element of good fortune about it as a Pounder cross caused problems in the Bay area, and although the keeper got to it ahead of Emson, indecision between Burke and an incoming defender allowed Steven Johnson to fire into the unguarded net.
Whitley almost struck back immediately, however Paul Chow shot over under pressure from Carl Piecha. Then on 33 minutes, Burke just beat Johnson to a through ball, with the Consett striker catching the keeper as he cleared, earning a yellow card for the challenge.
Two minutes before the break, a Consett side visibly growing in confidence as the half wore on took what looked like a decisive two-goal lead. Gary Ormston played in Jonjo Dickman, whose shot fizzed across the goal and rebounded off the post. The ball was played back in by Pounder to Emson, who outpaced his marker to make it 2-0 with a great finish.
Whitley boss Ian Chandler no doubt took the opportunity at half-time to remind his charges that FA Vase final places were by no means guaranteed, and the home side started the second half like men possessed.
They took just four minutes to halve the deficit with a goal of classic simplicity, Paul Chow glancing Lee Kerr’s corner in at the near post.
Consett suddenly looked very vulnerable, and after Johnston had seen a shot from just outside the area deflected wide, Bay drew level in the 57th minute. Johnston drilled in a low free-kick from 20 yards out which took a deflection before Bell stabbed it home from close range.
On 61 minutes another Kerr corner found Chow, who this time directed a free header wide. Consett produced their first chance of the second half soon after when Scott’s trademark 25-yard low drive was stopped by the keeper who couldn’t hold onto the shot, but was able to grab it at the second attempt, with no-one in a red shirt following up.
The tension was starting to mount as the half wore on, and 15 minutes from time passions boiled over as Kerr and Pounder found themselves in the referee’s notebook following a head-to-head confrontation. Almost immediately after that Emson saw a shot blocked, and although Pounder was first to follow-up he flashed his effort wide.
With the clock running down it looked like the Steelmen might hang on for the point that would have virtually clinched the championship. However, Whitley had other ideas, and six minutes from time substitute Chris Reid broke down the left and played the ball across area to fellow-replacement Chris Moore, who had all the time in the world to control it, pick his spot and break Consett hearts.
Consett threw everything at Bay in search of that elusive title-winning point, and with the clock ticking round to 90 minutes Emson saw a dipping volley go just over. Then three minutes into stoppage time sub Richard Logan fired in a strike from just outside the box, but Burke got down well to save.
Moments later the final whistle blew on Consett’s season. News filtered through that title rivals Newcastle Benfield had won 5-1 against West Allotment Celtic, which means everything comes down to the last game of the season … Penrith v Benfield on Tuesday night.
The equation was very simple, a win for Benfield meant the title would go to the East End of Newcastle, anything else and Consett were champions. All the folk from Belle Vue could do was cross their fingers and hope.
Agonisingly, the Penrith v Benfield game three days later looked like it was heading for a goalless draw, until seven minutes from time, when Stephen Young snatched a winner for Benfield, to give them their first title, and leaving the men from Belle Vue to ponder what might have been.
And although we were runners-up in three of the next four seasons, and led the table for more than half of the 2018-19 campaign – ironically under the management of Chris Moore, who scored Whitley Bay’s winning goal in this game – we have never been as close again to winning the league.
Whitley Bay: 1 Burke, 2 Anderson, 3 Picton, 4 McFarlane, 5 Coulson, 6 Ryan, 7 Bell (sub Moore 66), 8 Kerr, 9 Johnston (sub Reay 80), 10 Chow, 11 Robinson (sub Reid 70). Subs not used: McLean, Bone.
Consett: 1 Paul Gilmore, 2 David Scorer, 3 Mark Gaffney, 4 Jonjo Dickman, 5 Carl Piecha, 6 David Pounder, 7 Chris Scott, 8 Andrew Cuthbertson (sub Ian Davison 89), 9 Adam Emson, 10 Steven Johnson (sub Richard Logan 77), 11 Gary Ormston. Subs not used: Paul Curry, David Robson.
