Tag: Mark Foden

22/04/202318/09/2023

Consett secure their Northern Premier League place and condemn Lincoln United to the play-offs

Consett will be playing Northern Premier League football next season after beating Lincoln United 4-2 today at a soggy Belle View.

But they had to do it the hard way by coming from behind against their visitors, who needed a win to avoid the play-offs, while the Steelmen needed just a point to secure safety.

Manager Tony Fawcett again had to shuffle his pack, with skipper Arjun Purewal out and no full-backs available, so Matty Slocombe and Daniel Smith lined up in the No 2 and No 3 shirts.

Lincoln took the lead in the ninth minute when a lack of communication between Mark Foden and his defence let in right-back Evan Payne to lob the ball over the stranded keeper.

Consett levelled on 21 minutes when Kieren Aplin made attacked down the left and his low cross was finished first time by Calvin Smith, for his fifth goal of the season, pictured below.

Three minutes later the home side were in front as Nathan Greenwood did well down the right flank and crossed for Danny Barlow to finish at the near post, pictured below. It was his second goal since joining on loan from Blyth Spartans.

Barlow almost scored again with a free-kick on 39 minutes, bringing a good save from Lincoln keeper Jack Steggles at his near post, and he made an even better stop from Scott Fenwick two minutes later.

It wasn’t all one-way traffic, and the home side had a big let-off a minute before half-time when AJ Adelekan somehow hit the bar with the goal at his mercy.

It remained 2-1 to Consett at the break, and though they expected their visitors to throw the kitchen sink at them in the second half, the expected onslaught never came.

On 77 minutes Consett put the game beyond their visitors’ reach when Dan Capewell scored with a superb glancing header from Aplin’s right-wing corner, pictured below, to make it 3-1.

To the visitors’ credit they didn’t lie down, and after missing a couple of chances they reduced the arrears through Shane Clarke on 81 minutes.

With Consett defending a 3-2 lead there were one or two nervous gulps when the officials signalled six minutes of added time at the end of the game.

But the last word went to Consett, as good work by Fenwick and Calvin Smith set up Scott Jasper to complete the scoring with his first goal for the club in the 94th minute.

This result, combined with others, means Consett finish a creditable 13th in their first season in the Northern Premier League, with Carlton Town joining Lincoln in the play-off positions, and Shildon occupying the second relegation place despite winning at Grimsby Borough.

Full match report and more pictures to follow.

At the other end of the table, Hebburn secured third place, joining second-placed Stockton in the play-offs, though Dunston missed out after their defeat at Carlton. Long Eaton United and Stocksbridge Park Steels are the other play-off clubs.

The other final-day results in full are:

Bridlington Town 1 Stocksbridge Park Steels 0

Carlton Town 2 Dunston 0

Grimsby Borough 2 Shildon 3

Hebburn Town 3 Cleethorpes Town 1

Long Eaton United 3 Brighouse Town 0

North Shields 2 Worksop Town 3

Ossett United 0 Grantham Town 0

Sheffield 2 Stockton Town 1

Tadcaster Albion 0 Pontefract Collieries 4

15/04/202315/04/2023

Consett’s survival bid goes to the wire after they lose at Brighouse Town

Consett’s quest for a point to guarantee Northern Premier League football next season will go to the last game after they lost 2-0 at Brighouse Town today.

With Arjun Purewal and Dan Capewell injured and Ben Milburn suspended, the Steelmen were without all three central defenders, and top scorer Zak Atkinson was also missing through injury.

They lined up with midfielder Matty Slocombe and striker Scott Fenwick at the heart of their back four, and Danny Barlow and Nathan Greenwood up front.

Brighouse had already missed early chances for Mohammed Ibrahim and Javelle Clarke before Consett’s injury list got even longer on 10 minutes when midfielder Scott Jasper limped off.

Barlow had a chance to put Consett ahead on 15 minutes when he latched onto Fenwick’s pass, but was denied by Brighouse keeper Jamie Hassall.

As has been the case all too often this season the missed chance proved costly, as a minute later the home side took the lead when Jack Boyle cut in from the right and hit a hard, low drive past Mark Foden.

Consett almost equalised midway through the first half when Barlow set up Josh Baggs, but Hassall again made a good save, and Barlow then headed wide from Fenwick’s deep cross.

Despite being 1-0 down at half-time, Consett were still in the game, but they didn’t really get going after the break and found themselves penned back for long spells, with Brighouse peppering their goal.

The pressure told in the 63rd minute when Joshua Grant fired an unstoppable shot past Foden from 25 yards to make it 2-0.

Consett laboured for a way back, but created little apart from a late half-chance for sub Oscar Taylor, while Brighouse were happy to see out the win, which guaranteed their own NPL status.

Victories for Lincoln and Grantham and an unlikely draw for Ossett at champions Worksop mean Consett drop a place to 14th, and still need a point in their last game to be sure of not being involved in the end of season play-offs.

That last game is versus fellow battlers Lincoln at Belle View Stadium on Saturday 22 April, kick-off 3pm.

Full match report, statistics and more pictures to follow.

10/04/202310/04/2023

Consett lose out to promotion-chasing Stockton Town in seven-goal Easter Monday thriller

Consett’s bid to secure Northern Premier League football next season goes on after they lost 4-3 to high-flying Stockton Town in a thrilling game at Belle View today.

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08/04/202309/04/2023

Consett miss chance to guarantee NPL safety after slipping to defeat at Carlton Town

Consett’s bid to guarantee Northern Premier League football for next season will have to wait after they gave away a winning lead today and lost 2-1 at Carlton Town.

The Steelmen got off to a good start and they took the lead after just five minutes when Nathan Greenwood beat the home keeper at his near post from the left angle of the box, pictured above.

Danny Barlow was the width of an upright away from making it 2-0 when his clever lob beat the keeper but came back off the foot of the post in the 15th minute, pictured below.

Danny Barlow's lob comes back off the post with the Carlton goalkeeper beaten. Pic: Gary Welford. — **Danny Barlow’s lob comes back off the post with the Carlton keeper beaten. Pic: Gary Welford.**

But things began to unravel when centre-back Dan Capewell suffered a serious facial injury in an aerial challenge and had to go off.

Carlton forced a succession of corners and free-kicks as they put their visitors under a lot of pressure, but Consett defended stoutly, and didn’t give away any clear-cut chances.

The home side were convinced they had scored a minute before half-time, claiming Niall Davie’s inswinging corner had crossed the line before Consett keeper Mark Foden caught the ball, pictured below.

**Consett keeper Mark Foden clutches the ball while Carlton appeal for a goal. Pic: Gary Welford.**

The referee thought otherwise, and Consett reached half-time a goal to the good.

However, that didn’t last long, as two minutes into the second half Carlton levelled. Consett didn’t deal with a ball into the box and Niall Davie turned and fired into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.

The goal spurred Carlton on, and they were unlucky not to take the lead just before the hour when Alex Troke’s free-kick rattled the crossbar, and Consett skipper Arjun Purewal blocked Jared Holmes’s follow-up on the line, pictured below.

Foden saved well with his feet from Aaron O’Connor, but the game swung in Carlton’s favour in the 73rd minute when Consett defender Ben Milburn was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

The big centre-half’s protestations that a push from behind caused him to handle the ball as he jumped to head a long throw-in fell on deaf ears and the Steelmen were reduced to 10 men.

Centre-forward Alex Troke made no mistake with the resulting penalty, pictured below, putting Carlton firmly in the driving seat with a 2-1 lead.

Niall Hylton, who was sent off when Carlton lost 5-0 at Consett back in August, almost made it 3-1 when his shot came back off the post, and in truth never looked like salvaging a point after a disappointing second-half performance.

Full match report, statistics and gallery of pictures HERE.

Next up for the Steelmen is a home game against promotion-chasing Stockton Town on Easter Monday, with a 3pm kick-off at Belle View.

04/04/202304/04/2023

Dan’s the man as Consett grab last-gasp winner against Cleethorpes Town

Big defender Dan Capewell was the toast of Belle View Stadium tonight as his late, late goal gave Consett a 3-2 win over Cleethorpes Town.

He popped up in the visitors’ penalty area in the fourth minute of added time at the end of the game to steer the ball home and give the Steelmen a dramatic victory.

The result is a huge boost to their bid towards securing safety in the Northern Premier League Division One East, taking them seven points clear of the relegation play-off places.

Manager Tony Fawcett was able to name the same starting XI as he had for Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Sheffield – something he hasn’t been able to do too often since he took the hotseat.

And his side surprised their impressive visitors by taking the lead in the 37th minute, when right-back Josh Baggs fired home a rebound after Dylan Garvey’s header from Calvin Smith’s cross was saved by the keeper.

However, the lead lasted only six minutes, as Cleethorpes broke quickly from defending a Consett free-kick, and dangerman Curtis Bateson beat keeper Mark Foden to a long ball and lobbed it into the unguarded net.

Cleethorpes, who parted company with their manager last week, took the lead within three minutes of the restart when Consett failed to deal with a corner, and Edwin Essel finished from close range.

Consett equalised on 71 minutes when Danny Barlow collected the ball after the keeper made an unbelievable point-blank save from skipper Arjun Purewal, and curled it home for his first goal for the club, pictured above.

Just when it seemed like Consett were going to have to settle for a point, Jake Orrell floated a cross into the box and Dan Capewell was there to meet it from six yards to score the winner, pictured below, and send the majority of the 363 crowd home happy.

Back-to-back wins mean Consett are now 10th, with 43 points, with four games remaining, starting at Carlton Town on Saturday, followed by the Easter Monday visit of Stockton Town, KO 3pm.

Pictures by Keith Marley, Kenny Taylor & Gary Welford.

Full match report and more pictures to follow.

01/04/202302/04/2023

Consett beat Sheffield to give their bid to avoid relegation play-offs a big boost

Consett picked up a first win in nine games today, beating Sheffield 3-0 at Belle View Stadium to give their bid to avoid the relegation play-offs a timely boost.

A tight first-half saw chances at a premium, with Consett right-back Josh Baggs twice testing visiting keeper Jordan Pierrepont with headers from Dylan Garvey crosses.

Sheffield’s best chance came when home keeper Mark Foden scuffed a clearance to Luke Aldrich, but the striker put his shot well wide.

Consett took the lead in the 57th minute when Nathan Greenwood went on a mazy run and scored his first goal for the club with a neat dinked finish.

Three minutes later it was 2-0 when Jake Orrell buried a volley into the bottom corner from 25 yards, giving the keeper no chance.

Sheffield almost reduced the arrears on 69 minutes when Foden tipped Connor Cutts’ shot onto the post, and Benni Ndlovu’s follow-up was blocked on the line by Ben Milburn. A minute later sub Corey Glaves saw a goalbound header cleared off the line as Sheffield enjoyed their best spell of the game.

The final word went to Consett top scorer Zak Atkinson, who came on as a sub after seven weeks out injured and made it 3-0 in the last minute, spotting Pierrepont off his line and lobbing him from 40 yards for his 12th goal of the season.

The win saw Consett leapfrog Sheffield to go 12th, and it was made even better by losses for Shildon and Grantham and the fact Lincoln United could only draw.

Full match report, statistics and more pictures HERE.

Next up for the Steelmen is another home game on Tuesday, against Cleethorpes Town, kick-off 7.45pm.

25/03/202325/03/2023

Consett dragged into relegation battle after defeat at Grantham Town

Consett have been drawn into the heart of the Northern Premier League relegation fight after suffering a 3-0 defeat today at Grantham Town, the division’s second-bottom side.

Conceding two goals in the first half left Tony Fawcett’s team with a mountain to climb, and a third late in the game left them just a point outside the relegation play-off places.

The Steelmen’s side was much stronger than the one which drew at home to Ossett United last week, with Ben Milburn, skipper Arjun Purewal and Adam Mitchell returning to the defence.

But it was Consett’s failure to take three good chances in the first half which ultimately cost them the game.

They fell behind after just five minutes when Danny Barlow gave away a free-kick in a dangerous position on the right of the penalty area. McCrory floated the ball in and burly striker Gregg Smith powered home an unmarked header at the back post to make it 1-0.

It took until midway through the half for Consett to show their attacking teeth, when Milburn recycled a half-cleared free-kick to set up Jake Orrell, but the keeper was off his line quickly to save at the expense of a corner.

From the resulting flag-kick centre forward Scott Fenwick had a clear header at goal, but put his powerful effort, pictured below, inches over the bar.

Grantham almost doubled their lead on 37 minutes when a mix-up between Consett keeper Mark Foden and Milburn saw Lee Shaw nip in, but his lobbed effort bounced wide of the far post.

On 42 minutes Consett had another chance to level when Barlow was pushed over right on the edge of the box. He took the resulting free-kick himself, but his left-footed effort narrowly cleared the crossbar, pictured below.

A minute before the break Grantham doubled their lead. A quick break saw Shaw crash a shot against the bar, and left-back Joe Stacey reacted to the rebound quickest to fire home.

Being 2-0 down at half-time left the Steelmen with a mountain to climb, but for the first quarter of an hour of the second half they gave it a real go.

Fenwick hit a rising 25-yarder over the top, Nathan Greenwood had one shot, pictured below, saved and another blocked, and Matty Slocombe fired inches wide from 25 yards.

Again the misses would come back to haunt Consett, as they conceded again in the 77th minute to kill any hope of a comeback. A corner from the left saw Foden’s punch fall straight to Ashton Hall, who smashed it back past him on the volley.

There was no way back from that, and the defeat means it’s now eight games since Consett won a game, picking up just three points out of the last 24.

Wins for Lincoln United and Shildon reduced Consett’s cushion between their 14th place and the relegation play-off places to just one point, though they can take slight solace from the fact that Brighouse Town and Carlton Town – who we face in our final two away games – both lost today.

Tadcaster Albion, who lost 2-0 at home to Stocksbridge Park Steels, are relegated.

Full match report and more pictures to follow.

25/02/202326/02/2023

Consett’s problems pile up after a home defeat by in-form Long Eaton United

Consett slumped to their third defeat in their last four games at the hands of the division’s most in-form side.

Long Eaton United had won their last five games, and made it six in a row with a convincing win at a chilly Belle View.

Manager Tony Fawcett was again without a host of players, even though he welcomed back Ross Coombe, Josh Baggs and Jake Orrell.

With Mark Foden joining Calvin Smith and Matty Slocombe on the sidelines through suspension, and Charlie Exley added to a long-term injury list which already included Kieren Aplin, Zak Atkinson, Karl Byrne and Mark McLeod, the Steelmen were again missing eight players.

This meant places on the bench for two new signings, the unattached Henry Dorward, who has previously played for Whitley Bay and Sunderland RCA, and Nathan Lawrence, who’s rejoined Consett for a third spell from RCA.

The visitors started well, and their top scorer Jamie Walker had a chance to put them ahead on three minutes after beating the offside trap, but was denied by a fine double save by Coombe.

On-loan Blyth Spartans midfielder Danny Barlow almost gave Consett the lead on seven minutes when Jake Orrell’s pass sent him through on goal, but Sam Wilson saved at his feet, pictured top.

A minute later the keeper denied Barlow again when he cut in from the right and fired goalwards, saving down low at his near post.

Long Eaton took the lead on 10 minutes when wing-back Ashaiah Fearon, on loan from Notts County, flicked the ball on for Tom Cursons, who ran through on goal, despite strong Consett appeals for handball, and slotted home.

Consett suffered a big blow on 18 minutes when Dan Capewell, one of their outstanding players this season, limped off with a hamstring injury.

**Consett centre-back Dan Capewell goes down with a hamstring injury.**

The reshuffle which followed saw skipper Arjun Purewal move from left-back to centre-back, Adam Mitchell switch from midfield to left-back, and Dorward come into the middle for his debut.

On 21 minutes Long Eaton went close to doubling their lead when Fearon cut in from the right and got off a show which hit the outside of the post.

Seven minutes later they were awarded a free-kick 22 yards out and Tom Marshall sent a curling effort not too far wide of the left-hand post.

Two minutes before the break Jake Orrell had a chance for Consett, but Wilson made a comfortable save down low, and right on half-time Mitchell’s cross from the left found Dorward, who couldn’t steer his header on target.

Half-time: Consett 0 Long Eaton United 1

Consett’s teenage striker Oscar Taylor had looked an isolated figure up front at times, so it was little surprise when Scott Fenwick, despite not being fully fit, came on for the second half in place of midfielder Daniel Smith.

Five minutes into the second half the Steelmen had a chance to level when excellent work by Orrell saw him get to the byline and set up Taylor, but the No 9’s flicked effort was blocked, as was Fenwick’s follow-up.

It was a bright start to the half, but on 58 minutes it was 2-0 to Long Eaton when Cursons drilled the ball across goal from the left for Alex Marshall to finish from close range.

Mitchell had a chance to score his first goal for the club just before the hour when he arrived late at the back post, but was leaning back as he struck his shot and it ballooned over the bar.

A few minutes later Dorward had a chance to make his mark when he was played in, but he shot straight at the keeper from 20 yards when he maybe had time to take a touch and get closer to goal.

**Henry Dorward had a chance to make his mark on his debut.**

Long Eaton were making plenty of half-chances, and sub Jack Rogers had a clear opportunity to increase their lead on 71 minutes, but screwed his effort wide.

Orrell was at the centre of most of Consett’s good moves, and on 75 minutes his cross picked out Fenwick, but the big striker was stretching to meet the ball, and headed just over the bar.

Three minutes later Long Eaton ended any faint hopes of a Consett comeback when they scored a third goal. The home side failed to deal with Larell King’s long throw, and Ashaiah Fearon lashed the ball into the roof of the net.

Consett’s response was to throw on another substitute, with Reserves captain Kieran Scott coming on for Taylor for his first-team debut.

**Consett Reserves captain Kieran Scott made his first-team debut.**

And although Consett huffed and puffed, with the impressive Barlow firing into the side netting from 20 yards, they couldn’t muster a consolation goal to give the final scoreline a less brutal look.

What they did pick up was a last-minute yellow card for Ben Milburn, which takes him to 10 bookings for the season and a two-game suspension.

18/02/202318/02/2023

Ten-man Consett bring home a hard-earned point after backs-to-the-wall display at Bridlington

Consett picked up one of their best points of the season today after an already-depleted side managed to draw 0-0 at Bridlington Town after playing almost half the game with 10 men.

Tony Fawcett was unable to call on eight players for the game through a combination of injuries, suspensions and covid.

He gave full debuts to teenagers Daniel Smith and Oscar Taylor, and only had two substitutes, both young players from the reserve team.

But his young side responded with a superb battling performance despite having their goalkeeper sent off early in the second half.

Mark Foden had already been booked in the first half for a studs-up tackle outside his area on Andy Norfolk, and received a second yellow card in the 56th minute for a rash challenge on Nick Hutton.

With no spare keeper on the bench, Scott Fenwick went in goal, and the big striker made a superb save in the 82nd minute from Benn Lewis, tipping his goalbound effort over the bar, pictured top.

Full match report and pictures to follow.

04/02/202304/02/2023

Consett get an excellent win on their travels at third-placed Stocksbridge Park Steels

Consett pulled off a superb result against one of the Northern Premier League Division One East’s in-form teams today, winning 1-0 away at third-placed Stocksbridge Park Steels.