Consett’s twice-postponed home game against Cleethorpes Town has today had a new date approved by the Northern Premier League.
The NPL Division One East fixture at Belle View Stadium has fallen victim to the weather twice, on 17 December and again on 17 January.
Now the clubs have agreed to play the game on Tuesday 7 March, with a 7.45pm kick-off, and the league has approved the date.
The away game at Cleethorpes back in August was our first as a Northern Premier League club.
Consett’s scheduled home game against Cleethorpes Town tonight has, unsurprisingly, been postponed due to snow and freezing temperatures.
Recent snowfall has left the pitch and surrounding areas covered in a blanket of snow, and with temperatures not due to rise above 0C today, there is no prospect of it melting.
The fixture will be rearranged, on a date to be agreed between the clubs and the Northern Premier league.
Depleted Consett travelled to Cleethorpes Town for their first-ever game in the Northern Premier League today – and were minutes away from bringing home a point after a battling performance.
But a goal in added time at the end of the match saw the Steelmen – who were missing several players – suffer a 2-1 defeat to the side who finished third in Division One East last season.
Cleethorpes had the better of the early exchanges, with Ross Coombe – preferred in the Consett goal to Mark Foden – making two good saves.
But he couldn’t do much about the home side’s opener, as Jordon Cooke arrived to firmly head home a left-wing cross to make it 1-0.
Consett responded well, and were awarded a penalty in the 22nd minute after a wrestling match at a corner. Zak Atkinson stepped up to make it 1-1 from the spot with his first goal for the club, and our first in the NPL.
It remained 1-1 at half-time, and chances were at a premium after the break, though Cleethorpes had a ‘goal’ ruled out for offside midway through the half.
Just when it seemed that Consett might take a hard-earned point home, they failed to clear their lines from a corner in the second of six added minutes, allowing Declan Howe to grab the winner.
Consett were today handed an away fixture at Cleethorpes Town on the opening day of their debut season in the Pitching In Northern Premier League.
The trip to Linden Club in Grimsby will be on Saturday 13 August – seven days after the Steelmen open their season with an FA Cup visit to Goole AFC.
It is a tough start, as the Owls finished third in Division One East last season, and it’s followed by a first NPL home game against more familiar opponents, North Shields, on Tuesday 16 August.
The return game against the club who pipped us to the Northern League title last season is at the Daren Persson Stadium on Saturday 7 January.
Other games of note include a trip to Dunston on Bank Holiday Monday, 29 August, with the Tynesiders visiting Belle View on Monday 2 January.
We face more ex-Northern League foes, Shildon, at Dean Street, on Tuesday 6 September – four days before playing them there in the FA Trophy! The return league game at Belle View is on Tuesday 7 February.
The games against Hebburn Town are on Saturday 22 October (home) and Saturday 4 March (away), while we play Stockton Town away on Boxing Day, 26 December, and at home on Easter Monday, 10 April.
There’s only one far-flung midweek awayday at the moment – to Pontefract Collieries in West Yorkshire on Tuesday 23 August – our second away game (though there may be more, depending on cup progress).
