Tag: FRIENDLY

Consett find plenty of positives despite defeat by Morpeth in pre-season thriller

Consett tasted defeat for the first time in pre-season in today’s final friendly against Morpeth Town – but will take plenty of positives from their 4-3 loss.

The Steelmen gave as good as they got for much of an incident-packed game against a team who will be playing two divisions higher than this season.

Although it was a friendly, both teams played it like a cup tie, and Consett manager Terry Mitchell will be delighted with some of the football his side played.

Morpeth, who won the Northern Premier League East Division title last season, went in front after just two minutes, when Sean Reid was allowed to carry the ball deep into the Consett half, and smashed a shot past Kyle Hayes from 20 yards.

On 31 minutes Consett levelled with a fine goal. Luke Carr‘s pass sent Darren Holden surging down the level, and his perfect return ball saw the No 10 sweep the ball past Morpeth’s trialist keeper.

Morpeth regained the lead in the 39th minute when Ben Sayer’s free-kick was headed down by Jeff Henderson at the back post, and Ben Harmison slammed the loose ball in from close range.

A minute later it was 2-2 as Consett equalised with another well-worked goal. Teenager Max Russell did well down the flank, and his cutback found Andrei-Vasile Ardelean, who fired home from eight yards.

On 52 minutes Morpeth got their noses in front again with an excellent solo goal from midfielder Ben Sayer, who danced through the Consett defence before finishing past Hayes.

Consett responded well, and on 66 minutes made it 3-3 through Darren Holden. Deployed again in a more advanced role, he advanced up the left and fired into the far corner from the edge of the box when the Morpeth defence stood off him.

The final goal of a pulsating game came in the 76th minute, when Jack Foalle grabbed the winner for Morpeth, curling a beautiful strike into the corner to make it 4-3.

  • Full match report and more pictures to follow.

Consett to play Consett Reserves at short notice after opponents pull out of next friendly

Consett’s next scheduled pre-season friendly, away to Tow Law Town on Tuesday 23 July, has been cancelled, after they informed us they were unable to field a team.

This would have left Terry Mitchell’s side with just one more game, v Morpeth Town at home on Saturday 27 July, before the season proper kicks off on a week later on Saturday 3 August.

However, Consett AFC Reserves have agreed to fill the void by playing a friendly against the first team at Belle View Stadium on Tuesday 23 July. It’s a 7.30pm kick-off , and entry will be FREE for all supporters.

The Reserves finished 8th in the North Division of the Durham County FA U23s Sunday League last season, but are hoping for a better campaign this time round after an influx of new faces.

Their ranks will be bolstered by players from last season’s Consett AFC Chiefs side, who won the U18s Premier Division of the Russell Foster Youth League.

The team, managed by Chris Kelman, has also reached two county cup finals in recent seasons, and it is hoped the current squad will, in time, produce more players to feed into the senior team.

They will hoping to follow in the footsteps of Chris Rogan, Adam Male, Michael Brown and Ross Coombe from the all-conquering U21s of 2016-17, who have more than 100 first-team appreances between them.

Consett give Workington a lesson in finishing to lift the Specsure Cup after latest friendly win

Consett gave visitors Workington a lesson in the art of taking their chances as they made it five pre-season games unbeaten at a blustery Belle View today.

The Steelmen ran out 3-0 winners against their BetVictor Northern Premier League North West Division visitors, despite being second-best in terms of possession for long spells of the game.

After a largely uneventful first half, Dan Hawkins gave Consett the lead three minutes before the break, spotting Workington keeper Jim Atkinson off his line and beating him with a wind-assisted lob from 40 yards.

With the wind at their back, Workington pinned Consett back for much of the opening 20 minutes of the second half, without really troubling their hosts.

But on 67 minutes Darren Holden, playing in a more advanced position than usual, made it 2-0 with a surging run from the left wing into the heart of the penalty area, where he slipped the ball past the advancing keeper, pictured.

The scoring was completed in the 84th minute when Arjun Purewal headed powerfully goalwards from a left-wing corner, and sub Michael Brown got the finishing touch for his fourth pre-season goal.

After the game, Purewal received the Specsure Cup, which will hopefully be contested annually between the clubs, from one of the club’s major sponsors, Zag Sharif of Consett opticians Specsure.

Consett captain Arjun Purewal receives the Specsure Cup from Zag Sharif of opticians Specsure, who are one of the club’s main sponsors.

Full match report and more pictures here.

Consett frustrated in the rain as Heaton Stannington friendly ends in stalemate

Consett are still unbeaten after four pre-season games – but had to make do with a draw in their latest friendly at Heaton Stannington tonight.

The Steelmen had the bulk of possession and the better chances, but the match at a rain-soaked Grounsell Park ended 0-0.

Calvin Smith had the best chance of the first half, but his well-struck effort from the edge of the box was turned onto the post by Stan keeper Jonny Ball.

Andrei Ardelean and Jermaine Metz also had chances before the break, but couldn’t hit the target, and Consett’s dominance was such that keeper Kyle Hayes was virtually a bystander.

The second half was a different story, and as the incessant drizzle became torrential rain at times, the game began to open up.

Five minutes into the second half a free-kick skidded in from the right and was cleared off the line by Consett skipper Arjun Purewal, and on the hour Hayes made an excellent reaction save from Stan sub Joe Kerridge.

The nearest the game came to a goal was in the 88th minute, when sub Michael Brown got on the end of an excellent cross from the left, only to be denied by a superb point-blank save by Stan’s second-half keeper Joe Brook.

Full match report & pictures to follow.

  • Consett’s next game is at Belle View at 3pm on Saturday, 20 July, when they take on Workington, kick-off 3pm.

Carr’s the star again as Consett come from behind to beat Gateshead

Consett made it three pre-season wins out of three today as they came from behind to beat National League side Gateshead 4-1 at Belle View Stadium.

The young Heed side took the lead on 14 minutes after a slick move down the right which saw Connor Smith’s low cross met by Mason Fawns to finish from close range.

But on 25 minutes Consett were level when Ali Alshabeeb ran on to Jake Stafford’s long pass, and kept his cool to finish past the keeper from 12 yards.

Six minutes before half-time the Steelmen took the lead, when Luke Carr picked up a loose ball 30 yards out and fired a venomous left-footed strike in off the post.

It remained 2-1 to Consett at half-time, and they thought they had a third on 58 minutes when Carr’s free-kick was headed down at the back post and a trialist finished from point-blank range, but the ‘goal’ was ruled offside.

On 72 minutes Consett did make it 3-1 when substitute Michael Brown was felled by Dabizas, and Carr stepped up to score with an audacious chipped penalty which sent the keeper the wrong way.

Then two minutes later Carr turned provider for Brown, who slammed the ball home from a pullback.

Consett could have had more, as Carr, Brown and Andre-Vasile Ardelean all had efforts well saved, but Gateshead could also have added to their tally too, as home keeper Kyle Hayes made a trio of good saves.

Read the full match report and see more pictures here.

Luke Carr’s first-half hat-trick sets Consett on road to victory against Sunday League

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A first-half hat-trick from Luke Carr put Consett on the road to a 5-0 victory tonight in their annual pre-season friendly against a CM Flooring Consett Sunday League XI. The midfielder was in irresistible form, and proved too hot for his opponents to handle in a 45-minute performance in which he showed his undoubted quality. Carr opened the scoring after nine minutes, firing a free-kick into the bottom corner from 20 yards, pictured, after he had been fouled. Carr doubled his tally on 21 minutes, with a controlled finish from close range after starting the move which saw new signing Ali Alshabeeb beat his man and deliver a cross to the back post. Nick Allen, who impressed at left-back, hit the bar after a storming run into the box in the 38th minute. But a minute later Carr completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after a Sunday League defender handled on the line. Consett began with a strong side, with eight of the first-team squad complemented by three trialists, and it was no surprise that they dominated the opening 45 minutes. They rang the changes at half-time, with goalkeeper Kyle Hayes and Matty Slocombe – who started at right-back then moved into midfield – the only players to play the entire 90 minutes. And they went 4-0 up in the 49th minute when one of seven trialists who featured in the game sent another clear in the right-hand channel, and he slipped the ball home. Former Consett keeper Josie Longstaff made a string of good saves to keep the score down, but there was nothing he could do about the fifth goal in the 81st minute. Second-half skipper Arjun Purewal, who had earlier had a shot cleared off the line, headed home from a right-wing corner, pictured. The Sunday League – who also had ex-Steelmen Lewis Teasdale, Adam Knowles and Carl Malpass in their squad – had a few chances in the second half, but found Hayes in excellent form. After the game the Sunday League side’s captain Luke Allison presented the Terry Allison Memorial Cup to his Consett counterpart, pictured. The trophy is played for every year in memory of his grandad, who was a Sunday League stalwart until his untimely death a few years ago. Next up for Consett is an attractive home game against National League side Gateshead on Saturday, 13 July, kick-off 3pm. Normal pre-season prices apply – £5 for adults, £3 concessions and £1 for U16s.  

Details

Date Time Season
05/07/2019 7:30 pm 2019-20 Pre-season

Ground

Belle View Stadium
Belle view stadium, Delves Lane, Consett DH8 7BF, United Kingdom

Results