Tag: david dowson

12/04/202212/04/2022

Consett suffer semi-final heartache at Ashington – and a double blow to their play-off hopes

A brave second-half comeback by 10-man Consett came to nothing tonight when they were beaten 4-3 at Ashington in the semi-final of the Division One Cup.

Trailing 3-1 at half-time, they got the score back to 3-3 despite having Calvin Smith sent off, and were within six minutes of taking the tie to a penalty shoot-out.

But they shot themselves in the foot by conceding a poor goal straight from the restart, and had Darren Holden sent off after the final whistle.

The red cards means Smith and Holden will both be suspended from the one-off promotion play-off on Saturday 30 April, leaving manager Andy Coyles with an almighty headache and a severely-depleted squad.

Ashington took the lead after just five minutes, when Kyle Hayes fumbled a corner and big centre-back Ben Harmison bundled the ball home from point-blank range.

Three minutes later the Steelmen were level, after David Dowson’s knockdown to Carl Lawson, who fired in off the post to make it 1-1.

Hayes saved well from Robert-Lee Taylor on 19 minutes, but there was nothing he could do two minutes later when Lawson lost his man and Jordan Summerly finished low past the keeper for 2-1.

Lawson almost grabbed a second equaliser a minute later, but saw his shot cleared off the line by a defender, and the visitors were made to pay on 24 minutes when Ashington scored again.

Smith gave the ball away as Consett passed their way out from the back, and the Colliers’ top scorer Dean Briggs drove at the makeshift defence to fire past Hayes and make it 3-1.

Colin Larkin went close to reducing the arrears five minutes before half-time when he chested the ball down 25 yards out and fired into the side netting, but it was a second-best Consett team who headed into the dressing rooms at the break.

Ashington were backed by a vociferous crowd who were appealing for every decision, real and otherwise, and they demanded a red card for a Jake Orrell foul on 55 minutes, but the referee decided yellow was sufficient.

Three minutes later they got their wish when Calvin Smith was shown a straight red card for a challenge which many onlookers thought had won the ball.

Consett now had a mountain to climb, but bringing on strikers Scott Heslop and Dale Pearson for David Dowson and Luke Carr injected fresh energy into their attacking play.

They were indebted to Hayes for keeping them in the game on 65 minutes with a superb double save, but on 73 minutes they were right back in it when Scott Heslop bulleted in a header from Orrell’s corner.

On 83 minutes Consett’s endeavours were rewarded when home right-back Liam Doyle wrestled Pearson to the ground, pictured top, and the referee awarded a penalty, which was despatched by Colin Larkin to make it 3-3.

Incredibly, within 60 seconds Consett’s fightback was in vain when, straight from the kick off, they failed to deal with a surging run from the halfway line, and when the ball fell to ex-Steelman Dean Briggs he fired home what turned out to be the winner.

If such late heartache wasn’t bad enough, Holden – Consett’s only fit defender – was red-carded after the final whistle for something he said to the referee, which rules him out of the promotion play-off.

With almost an entire XI currently unavailable, the Steelmen’s chances of playing in the Northern Premier League next season appear to be receding rapidly.

But before the one-off away game against as-yet unknown opponents there’s the small matter of completing our Northern League fixtures this Saturday, with a home game against Ashington, kick-off 3pm.

Full match report, stats and more pictures to follow.

05/04/202205/04/2022

Consett come from behind twice to beat West Auckland and line up semi-final trip to Ashington

An injury-time goal from veteran striker Colin Larkin gave Consett’s season a much-needed lift tonight as they twice came from behind to secure a cup semi-final place by beating West Auckland Town 3-2.

Andy Coyles’ side put in their best performance for weeks against the same visitors who they had ground out a 1-0 win over in the league seven days earlier.

The result means Consett travel to Ashington for a Division One Cup semi-final on Tuesday 12 April – four days before they complete their league fixtures with a game against the same opponents at Belle View Stadium.

Consett were the better side in the first half, and it was against the run of play that West Auckland took the lead on 38 minutes, as Ross Wilkinson headed the ball into his own net under challenge from Gary Brown as they contested a free-kick.

A minute later Consett were level, from another set play. Jake Orrell played the ball in from the right, Wilkinson did well to keep it alive in a melee of bodies, and Alex Francis fired home from close range against one of his old clubs, pictured below.

However, parity lasted just three minutes, as Francis went from goalscoring hero to villain, tripping Jordan Blinco to gift West a penalty, which Arron Thompson converted.

It remained 2-1 at half-time, but Consett, whose football was much more fluid than in recent weeks, were back on the front foot right from the start of the second half, creating chance after chance.

Dan Marriott fired just wide, David Dowson had a shot cleared off the line after the keeper dropped a corner, and Orrell’s 20-yard free-kick hit the post as the Steelmen poured forward.

The pressure was rewarded on 65 minutes when Luke Carr’s excellent pass picked out Calvin Smith‘s run to the back post, and he tucked the ball under the keeper to make it 2-2, pictured below.

There was a let-off for Consett in the 69th minute as West’s top scorer Blinco failed to convert from close range, but just as the game looked like it was heading for penalties there was one final twist.

In the first of three minutes of added time, Orrell’s corner from the right caused chaos in the West box, and Colin Larkin pounced on the loose ball, turned and fired home his 16th goal of the season to take Consett through.

It was just reward for a fine team performance, where every player showed their battling qualities against tough opponents, as well as playing their best passing game for quite some time.

Full match report, stats and more pictures to follow.

02/04/202202/04/2022

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.

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.

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.

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.

26/03/202230/03/2022

Redcar deal another blow to Consett’s title hopes after completing league double over them

Consett lost the inaugural ‘Steel Cup’ today – but more importantly saw their lead at the top of the Northern League cut to six points by a 2-1 defeat at Redcar Athletic.

It was the same scoreline by which the newly-promoted Teessiders won at Belle View three weeks ago, giving them a league double over their fellow Steelmen after our first-ever meetings.

The result tips the balance of the championship race in favour of our closest rivals North Shields, who beat Penrith 5-0, and now have 65 points to our 71, but with four games in hand.

The opening exchanges were tense, and Consett had the first real chance midway through the half when defender Matty Ridley had a header from a corner cleared off the line.

A minute later No 9 Scott Heslop looked certain to score when a Lewis Green pass sent him clear on goal, but he put his effort high and wide.

Consett did take the lead on 27 minutes, when Darren Holden’s long throw was chested down by Heslop, and James Martin fired home from 15 yards.

But the home side were level within a minute when dangerman Isaac Walker, who scored the winner at Belle View, cut in from the left and struck a shot which took a deflection which sent the ball looping over goalkeeper Ross Coombe.

Luke Carr had an effort deflected wide as Consett sought to regain the lead, and Coombe then saved well from Walker, so it remained 1-1 at half-time.

A penalty shootout between supporters during the break saw Consett triumph 4-3, with keeper Peter Lockeron saving three kicks and Sam Martin slamming home the decisive kick.

But it was Redcar who took the initiative when the game resumed, and Isaac Walker beat his man and fired in a dipping effort to make it 2-1 to the home side on 55 minutes.

Consett rang the changes, bringing on three substitutes in a bid to get back into the game, and one of them, David Dowson, pictured top, almost equalised on 77 minutes, but saw his 20-yarder come back off the base of the post.

That was as near as the visitors got to finding an equaliser, and it was a dispirited league leaders who trooped off the field as news of North Shields’ win filtered through.

Full match report, stats and more pictures to follow.

23/03/202223/03/2022

Consett’s top-two showdown at North Shields ends in a stalemate

Consett’s Division One game at North Shields, billed by many as a Northern League title decider, ended in a goalless stalemate tonight at the Daren Persson Stadium.

With the visitors 9 points clear of their hosts before kick-off, but the Robins having four games in hand, it was certainly a game which could have had a big bearing on the destination of the championship.

A Consett win would mean matters were back in their own hands, while a North Shields victory would have handed them a big advantage.

It was a game neither side wanted to lose, but nobody did enough to win it either, and the outcome was a 0-0 draw in front of a tense 569 crowd.

The first attempt on goal didn’t arrive until the 30th minute, when Shields centre-back Jack Walker’s header was gathered easily by Consett keeper Kyle Hayes.

At the other end, Calvin Smith had an effort easily saved, while Scott Heslop headed a half chance wide, as the two teams largely cancelled each other out.

The main talking point of the first half was the referee’s decision not to send off Shields midfielder Cam Cunningham for what appeared to be a stamp on Matty Slocombe, showing just a yellow card instead.

The game briefly burst into life around the hour mark, when Calvin Smith was well-placed to clear David Robinson’s header off the line, and Cunningham fired the loose ball just over the bar.

At the other end Darren Holden’s excellent cross from the left created Consett’s best chance of the game, but Heslop’s weak header was straight at the keeper.

Shields made a big penalty appeal as top scorer Dan Wilson went to ground, but the decision was a free-kick the other way.

On 75 minutes Consett brought on David Dowson, who has just re-signed after leaving West Auckland, and within a minute he had been booked for what Shields claimed was an elbow on Walker.

Even five minutes of added time at the end of the game wasn’t enough for either side to find a goal, but everyone in the bumper crowd seemed to agree that a draw was a fair result.

25/11/202024/11/2020

On this day: 25 November 2017 – Consett come from behind to win at bogey ground Washington

Consett came from behind to win at one of their bogey grounds as they beat Washington 4-1 at Nissan Sports Complex, on this day in 2017.

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24/11/202023/11/2020

On this day: 24 November 2018 – Consett beat North Shields in a nine-goal Belle View thriller

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.