Tag: evan horwood

stocksbridge

Consett take the lead but lose at home to Stocksbridge Park Steels

Consett learned another Northern Premier League lesson tonight when they were beaten 2-1 at home by Stocksbridge Park Steels, despite taking the lead.

The Sheffield side pinched all three points by taking their chances against a Consett side who played some decent football, but were found wanting in both boxes.

Zak Atkinson gave the home side the lead on 14 minutes, pictured top, when he finished a lovely flowing move down the left involving Evan Horwood and Colin Larkin. It was his sixth goal of the season, making him the club’s top scorer.

But on 25 minutes it was all square when the visitors broke quickly from a Consett attack and pacy striker Ify Ofoegbu beat two men before burying a shot past Ross Coombe.

In added time at the end of the first half Declan Bisset brought a fine save from Steels keeper Harrison Davison-Hale with a stinging drive from 20 yards, and the sides went in level at the break.

Parity didn’t last long, however, and a defensive error in the first minute of the second half gifted what turned out to be the winner to the visitors.

A loose pass by Coombe was seized upon by Stocksbridge, who were playing a high pressing game, and Leigh Whelan made it 2-1.

Jake Orrell and Calvin Smith had efforts deflected wide and Cyril Giraud and Adam Mitchell both missed headed chances as Consett pressed for an equaliser.

Larkin almost rescued a point for Consett in the second minute of added time, but his well-struck 25-yarder came back off the bar with the keeper beaten.

The defeat saw Consett drop a place to 10th in the NPL Division One East table and means they have now gone eight games without a win (if you count the West Auckland cup game as a draw).

  • Full match report and more pictures to follow.
bridlington

Consett pay the price for defensive lapses as they are beaten at home by Bridlington

Consett were the better side for the third time in three meetings with Bridlington Town today – and for the third time they tasted defeat.

The Seasiders, who needed a last-minute goal on the final day of last season to avoid relegation, took their chances when it mattered to leave Belle View with a 3-2 win – the same scoreline by which they won at Consett in the FA Cup the previous season.

The Steelmen made a positive start to the game, and had a ‘goal’ ruled out for offside on 10 minutes, but two minutes later the visitors took the lead. Mark Broadley picked up the ball in midfield and beat a couple of men before firing into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.

Consett enjoyed a lot of possession as the half wore on, forcing a series of corners and creating a few half-chances, and few could argue that they deserved their equaliser in the 42nd minute.

After some good work down the left by Evan Horwood he slipped the ball to Jake Orrell, whose pinpoint cross picked out Zak Atkinson to head home from 10 yards for his fourth goal of the season, pictured below.

Consett striker Zak Atkinson wheels away after his header made it 1-1. Pic: Kenny Taylor.

The score remained 1-1 at half-time, though Consett had a let-off in injury time when a header from Jack Bulless was cleared by Ben Milburn, with Bridlington claiming it had crossed the line.

Consett started the second half on the front foot, and in the 49th minute Orrell brought the best save of the game from keeper James Hitchcock, when he unleashed a well-struck effort from 25 yards.

Bridlington took the lead for the second time on 77 minutes when Consett keeper Mark Foden came for a left-wing corner through a crowd of bodies but couldn’t reach the ball, leaving Jack Bulless with a simple header to make it 2-1.

Six minutes later it was 3-1, and again Foden came under scrutiny. Coming for another corner, this time he reached the ball, but his punch was weak and fell straight to right-back Benn Lewis, who fired it straight back past him to put Town in the driving seat.

Substitute Declan Bisset gave Consett hope in the 89th minute when his 25-yarder from Atkinson’s knockdown beat the keeper with the help of a big deflection off a defender, pictured below.

Declan Bisset’s late goal makes it 2-3 and gives Consett hope. Pic: Stephen Finch.

The game ended in controversy when, with five minutes of time added and Consett pushing hard for an equaliser, Hitchcock claimed he’d been kicked in the head by the following-in Kieren Aplin.

The Consett man protested his innocence, but the referee decided it was a yellow card, and precious seconds were wasted by the keeper’s flagrant time-wasting.

When the final whistle went the keeper’s over-the-top celebrations in front of supporters behind the goal did nothing to endear him to the Consett faithful.

This and other results saw Bridlington leapfrog Consett to go fourth in the table, while the Steelmen dropped three places to sixth, just outside the play-off positions.

  • Full match report and more pictures HERE.