Tag: Kyle hayes

mark foden

Mark Foden signs for Consett after Kyle Hayes announces his departure

Mark Foden, who played against Consett at Wembley, has signed for the club after long-serving goalkeeper Kyle Hayes announced he is leaving.

Kyle, who has been at Belle View for four and a half years, informed the club this week that he is unable to commit to playing in the Northern Premier League for personal reasons.

He made 169 appearances for the club, including the delayed 2020 FA Vase final at Wembley, where Mark Foden was his opposite number in the Hebburn Town goal!

A key member of our Durham Challenge Cup-winning side of 2018, Kyle also made a reputation for himself as a penalty taker as well as saver!

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Kyle Hayes pictured with his son after Consett won promotion at Histon. Pic: Gary Welford.

Chairman Frank Bell said: “We are sorry to lose Kyle, who has been our goalkeeper for the last four years, but personal circumstances mean he cannot commit to the extra demands of the Northern Premier League.

“We are very grateful to Kyle for his loyalty, and for some vital saves, especially the one in the 98th minute at Histon in the game which won us promotion. Thank you and good luck to him and his family.”

Mark Foden is 26 and comes from Glasgow. He came up through the youth ranks at Hartlepool United before joining Ross County, and having loan spells at Stirling Albion and Stenhousemuir.

mark foden
Mark Foden played twice for Consett on loan from Blyth Spartans in 2019. Pic: Gary Welford.

After a season at Gateshead he had a spell out of the game before joining Blyth Spartans in March 2019.

After playing two games on loan at Consett early in the 2019-20 season to cover for Kyle’s absence on holiday he joined Hebburn Town permanently, and became their first-choice keeper.

He played against Consett in the FA Vase final at Wembley, and was promoted to the Northern Premier League with Hebburn at the end of the 2020-21 season.

fa vase final
Ali Alshabeeb rounds Mark Foden to open the scoring in the FA Vase final. Pic: John Paul Hardy.

He missed only one NPL game last season, but was released at the end of his contract in the summer when a new manager came in.

Manager Andy Coyles said: “Mark has lots of experience at higher levels, including spending last season in the NPL with Hebburn. He’s looked good in training, and is looking forward to showing us what he has to offer.”

histon

Consett clinch promotion to the Northern Premier League with play-off win at Histon

Consett will be playing Northern Premier League football for the first time in their history next season after a 2-1 win in the inter-step play-off at Histon today.

Scott Heslop gave them the lead in the 44th minute after latching onto a long ball from Dan Capewell and keeping his cool to finish past the keeper.

Dan Marriott put Consett in control in the 52nd minute, with a delicate lob to make it 2-0.

Histon got one back through Luke Lindsay in the 73rd minute when Consett failed to deal with a long throw.

But they held onto the lead, with keeper Kyle Hayes making a vital stop deep into the seven minutes of injury time.

  • Full match report, stats, video of the goals and loads more pictures HERE.
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Consett chairman Frank Bell with Dan Marriott, scorer of the goal which clinched promotion.
ashington

Consett share eight goals with Ashington in end-of-season thriller

Consett twice came from two goals down to draw 4-4 with Ashington as they brought their Northern League campaign to a close today at a sunny Belle View Stadium.

Andy Coyles named an attacking line-up, which started the game well, but found his side trailing 2-0 after the visitors – Division One’s top scorers – struck twice in three minutes.

The first came on 14 minutes as Dean Briggs took advantage of a defensive mix-up to open the scoring, and two minutes later their lead was doubled as Consett’s makeshift defence failed to clear their lines and Lewis Suddick fired home.

On 18 minutes Scott Heslop reduced the arrears with his 7th goal in 16 games since signing from Dunston, bravely beating Ashington keeper Adam McHugh to Colin Larkin’s cross to head home.

On 33 minutes Dale Pearson hit the 20 mark for the season, beating the visitors’ offside trap to smash the ball past the keeper.

Consett almost got their noses in front in first-half injury time when a superb 25-yarder from Lewis Green rattled the crossbar, and Larkin was inches away from turning in the rebound.

But in the third minute of added time it was Ashington who regained the lead when Dean Briggs spotted Kyle Hayes off his line and arrowed a shot past him from 40 yards.

Ashington went into the break 3-2 up, and within eight minutes of the restart had restored their two-goal lead when an excellent pass sent Liam Doyle to the byline and he pulled the ball back for Lewis Suddick to finish from close range.

On 69 minutes Consett hit the woodwork for the second time when Jake Orrell’s free-kick came back off the post, and Green was denied by McHugh from the follow-up.

But on 70 minutes another setpiece saw Orrell whip a corner in for Calvin Smith to glance in a header and make it 3-4.

On 73 minutes Carl Lawson met a deep cross from Nick Cassidy, and saw his effort cleared off the line, and 10 minutes later another Cassidy cross by headed just wide by Larkin as Consett piled on the pressure.

The fully-deserved equaliser came in the 84th minute, when Jake Orrell smashed a free-kick from 25 yards into the top corner to make it 4-4 with his 11th goal of the season.

Both sides had chances to win the game, but a draw was probably about right for a game which was a wonderful advert for the Northern League.

Consett will take plenty of positives into their play-off for a place in the Northern Premier League on Saturday 30 April. Now they must hope they can get some of their injured defenders fit for the one-off showdown against opponents who are, for the moment, unknown.

  • Full match report, stats and more pictures to follow.

west auckland

Big Dan’s goal keeps Consett’s title hopes alive in must-win game v West Auckland

A late goal from big centre-back Dan Capewell gave Consett a vital three points tonight as they beat West Auckland Town 1-0 to keep their hopes of a first-ever Northern League championship alive.

Recent stuttering form has left the Steelmen needing to win their last four games, and hope for at least one slip-up from title rivals North Shields, if they are to win the league and promotion.

And for much of the night it looked like their hopes might fade into the rolling fog which threatened to envelop Belle View Stadium.

West Auckland keeper Sam Guthrie claims the ball from a Consett corner. Pic: Gary Welford.

West had the better of the first-half exchanges, and Consett had keeper Kyle Hayes to thank for keeping them in the game, after he made a couple of crucial saves.

On 13 minutes he made an unbelievable point-blank stop from West top scorer Jordan Blinco’s header, and Dan Capewell cleared Liam Potter’s follow-up off the line.

Four minutes later Hayes denied Blinco again, making a smart save low to his left, and when the West No 9 did get the ball past the Consett custodian in the 33rd minute, Capewell again cleared off the line.

The hosts’ best effort of the half came from James Martin, whose great strike from the edge of the box was tipped over by West’s one-time Consett keeper Sam Guthrie.

This James Martin effort was tipped over by West keeper Sam Guthrie. Pic: Gary Welford.

Consett brought on Dan Marriott at half-time to give them more of an attacking threat, and he had the first effort three minutes in, but it was deflected wide.

Striker Scott Heslop, who displayed tremendous workrate all night, had a decent penalty claim turned down in the 50th minute, then, midway through the half, fired just over after turning his marker.

The all-important goal came in the 81st minute when Consett were awarded a free-kick out wide on the left. Jake Orrell arrowed the ball to the back post, where Dan Capewell ghosted in to volley home his fourth goal for the club, pictured top.

The lively Marriott looked like he might seal the win with a second goal in added time, but was thwarted by a superb tackle from West skipper Gary Brown.

Gary Brown’s perfectly-timed tackle prevented Dan Marriott adding a second goal. Pic: Gary Welford.

When the final whistle it was to big cheers of joy and relief from the Consett fans in the excellent midweek crowd of 453. North Shields’ games in hand might make them favourites, but Consett aren’t out of the title reckoning just yet.

  • Full match report, stats and more pictures HERE.

north shields

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.

bishop auckland

Consett leave it late but find a way to win at Bishop Auckland

Consett re-ignited their Northern League title hopes by coming from behind to win 2-1 at a sunny Bishop Auckland.

The main team news for Consett before the game was skipper Arjun Purewal’s welcome return to the side after a two-month absence through injury.

With one side going for promotion and the other trying to fight off relegation, there was a lot at stake, and the game soon became a war of attrition.

Consett enjoyed their best spell of the opening period in the five minutes before half-time, when Colin Larkin, Calvin Smith and James Martin all had chances, but the interval was reached with the game goalless.

Bishop Auckland took the lead on 47 minutes through one-time Consett striker Adam Burnicle, a recent signing from Thornaby. He was first to react to a cross not being dealt with and prodded the ball past the advancing Kyle Hayes from 10 yards out.

The goal was wildly celebrated by the home support, but their joy was short-lived as Consett equalised on 52 minutes.

Jake Orrell floated a free-kick to the far post, where centre-back Dan Capewell ghosted in to volley the ball high into the net from a few yards out.

On 85 minutes, with a draw looking inevitable, a piece of quality from substitute Nick Cassidy with his first touch of the ball proved to be crucial.

He put a lovely free-kick into the penalty area, where veteran striker Colin Larkin beat his marker to send a looping header into the net and send the Consett fans behind the goal into raptures.

The result was made all the sweeter for the travelling support by news that title rivals North Shields had been held to a 2-2 draw at home by Whickham.

  • Full match report, stats and more pictures HERE.
crook town

Crook Town inflict Consett’s second home defeat in four days

League leaders Consett were beaten at home by mid-table opposition for the second time in four days tonight, losing 2-1 at Belle View to Crook Town.

The stuttering Steelmen again went behind, got themselves back in it, only to concede again, just as they had against Redcar Athletic at the weekend.

They remain nine points clear of second-placed Thornaby, who have played the same number of games, but third-placed North Shields, who have a point less than the Teessiders, now have five games in hand.

The first chance of the game fell to Scott Heslop in the 18th minute after he latched onto Colin Larkin’s pass, but he couldn’t get enough on his shot to trouble visiting keeper Ronan Makepeace.

Consett had their goalkeeper Kyle Hayes to thanks for a top drawer save in the 22nd minute, as he pushed a fiercely-struck 25-yarder from Joey Smith over the bar.

A minute later Larkin broke clean through on goal for Consett, but uncharacteristically fired high and wide.

Hayes was grateful to his woodwork in the 26th minute, as a free-kick from Crook skipper Lee Hume rattled the crossbar.

Heslop hit the side netting from 20 yards as the game began to open up, and a deep cross from the right found Dan Capewell, whose scuffed shot was deflected for a corner.

Crook took the lead in the 40th minute when a through ball sent Craig Moody running at the home defence, and he blasted the ball past Hayes from 12 yards to make it 1-0.

It stayed that way at half-time, but it only took seven minutes of the second half for Consett to level, as midfielder Alex Francis, pictured below, scored his first goal for the club with a deft header from Darren Holden’s corner.

crook town
Alex Francis (No 8) opened his goal account for Consett with this back-header. Pic: Kenny Taylor.

The goal gave Consett a lift, and they began to dominate, but they seemed to lose their momentum after two big decisions went against them.

First, on 55 minutes, Heslop was flattened by Crook centre-back Oscar Eckley-Aldsworth just outside the box as he ran through on goal, but the card was yellow rather than red, and the resulting free-kick came to nothing.

Then in the 70th minute they had a huge shout for a penalty when a shot by Holden appeared to strike a defender’s arm, but the referee waved away their appeals.

But in the 76th minute the Steelmen had the wind knocked out of their sails when Crook scored again, with Mason Hurworth running through unchallenged before firing left-footed past Hayes to make it 2-1.

Consett ran out of ideas long before the end, and only time – and North Shields catching up with some of their games in hand – will tell how damaging this defeat might be.

  • Full report, stats and more pictures HERE.

dan staples

Dan’s the man as Consett make cup progress by coming from behind to beat North Shields

Dan Marriott proved to be Consett’s matchwinner as a much-changed side came from behind to win a hard-fought Division One Cup tie 3-2 at North Shields tonight.

But it was another Dan – goalkeeper Daniel Staples, making his first appearance for the club in 11 years – who ensured the Steelmen progressed to the 2nd Round.

With first-choice keeper Kyle Hayes taken ill and his deputy Ross Coombe unavailable due to work, the 31-year-old answered the club’s SOS to don a first-team jersey for the first time since August 2011.

His big moment came in the 86th minute, when North Shields, pushing hard for an equaliser, were awarded a penalty.

The Robins’ top scorer Dan Wilson stepped up to take the kick, but Staples pulled off a brilliant save, diving low to his right, and the follow-up was blazed over the bar.

It was a dramatic end to a game which saw both sides make full use of their squads, resting several players for more important fixtures in the weeks ahead.

Shields took the lead after just two minutes when David Robinson cut in from the right and hit a low shot which took a deflection off a defender, giving Staples no chance.

Consett levelled on 14 minutes through Calvin Smith, who picked up possession 30 yards out after good work by Darren Holden, and fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

On 27 minutes Consett took the lead, Darren Holden scoring direct from a corner, with Shields keeper Greg Purvis seeming to misjudge the flight of the ball, which dipped over him into the far corner.

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Darren Holden’s corner goes straight in to make it 2-1 to Consett. Pic: Gary Welford.

And five minutes before half-time the Steelmen looked firmly in control when Nick Cassidy whipped in a disputed free-kick from the right, and Dan Marriott flashed home a header from eight yards.

north shields
Dan Marriott (No 7) heads home from a free-kick to make it 3-1 to Consett. Pic: Gary Welford.

The second half saw the home side step up their game, and they made it 3-2 in the 54th minute when David Robinson scored his second of the night, reacting quickly after a cross-shot by JJ Chrisp fell to him.

Shields spurned a great chance to level when Regan Paterson broke through but fired wide on 68 minutes, and 10 minutes later Cameron Cunningham had another golden opportunity, but lobbed over the bar.

Then came the late penalty drama, with Staples emerging as Consett’s hero. After five added-on minutes of backs-to-the-wall defending, it was the Steelmen who progressed to meet Redcar Athletic in the next round.

  • Full report, stats and more pictures to follow.
billingham

Cassidy stunner ends Billingham resistance to put Consett 11 points clear

A stunning strike from their No 2 was enough for Consett to beat dogged Billingham Town at a bitterly cold Belle View tonight in a fitting way to mark ‘all twos day’.

Right-back Nick Cassidy, re-signed from North Shields in early January, scored the only goal of a hard-fought victory over the relegation-threatened visitors in the 73rd minute.

He met a Darren Holden cross from the left on the volley with his right foot, pictured top, smashing the ball past former Consett keeper Jack Norton to secure a deserved win.

The victory means Consett are now 11 points clear at the top of Division One of the Northern League, with nine games left to play.

Consett drew 1-1 at Billingham earlier in the season, and the visitors again gave a good account of themselves, despite being second-bottom of the table.

Billingham had the strong wind behind them in the first half, but it was Consett who made the best chances.

Dale Pearson fired over from a superb first-time Holden cross on seven minutes, then was just beaten to the ball by the outstretched arm of Norton after a fine move involving Cassidy, Luke Carr and Jake Orrell on the half-hour.

A minute later Consett had the ball in the net, when Pearson’s shot was saved by Norton and centre-back Matthew Ridley pounced to convert the loose ball, but was ruled offside.

On 35 minutes Billingham had their best chance of the game with a shot from distance, but Kyle Hayes, who hadn’t had a lot to do, tipped the ball over the bar.

Consett should have gone ahead in the 36th minute when another superb cross from Holden picked out Carr six yards out, but he headed the ball up and over the bar.

The game remained goalless at half-time, and with the wind getting even stronger after the break, Billingham found it difficult to get out of their own half at times.

Carr’s low effort by saved by Norton at his near post on 52 minutes, and on 65 Pearson was sent clear with only the keeper to beat, but put his shot the wrong side of the post.

Pearson then teed up Carl Lawson, whose well-struck effort was cleared off the line by defender Andrew Wilson, and you began to wonder if it was going to be one of those nights.

But with the visitors finding it increasingly difficult to get out of their own half in the face of a strengthening wind, that superb Cassidy strike broke the deadlock.

Consett saw out the game comfortably, without being able to get a second goal to seal the win.

With no game this weekend, the next fixture is now at North Shields on Wednesday 2 March in the 1st Round of the new Division One Cup, KO 7.30pm.

  • Full match report, stats and more pictures to follow. Main picture: S Finch Imagery.