Tag: matty cornish

Cornish scores twice as Consett continue FA Vase countdown with friendly at Sunderland Academy

Consett continued their countdown to the FA Vase final at Wembley by taking on a Sunderland XI in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the Academy of Light.

Terry Mitchell’s side are looking sharper with every game, but lost 4-3 in an action-packed match against a young Black Cats side, despite two goals from Matty Cornish, pictured top.

However, they fell behind early on when a Sunderland striker reacted quickest to the loose ball after a good save by Consett keeper Kyle Hayes.

The Steelmen levelled midway through the half when a pass from Calvin Smith sent Matty Cornish away down the right. he cut inside the left-back and drilled a left-footed screamer in off the post.

Just before half-time Consett went ahead when Dan Marriott ran between the Sunderland centre-backs, and the keeper cleaned him out as he tried to reach the ball.

Up stepped Cornish, who had scored from the spot at North Shields on Saturday, and he sent the keeper the wrong way to make it 2-1.

Consett rang the changes at half-time, bringing on five substitutes, and before they could settle it was 2-2, as a Sunderland striker again reacted quickest from a Hayes save.

Dale Pearson replaced Cornish, and the striker was involved in the goal which restored Consett’s lead. He played a defence-splitting pass to Nick Allen, who squared it for Carl Lawson to score with a shot which nutmegged a defender and the keeper.

Straight from the kick-off Sunderland levelled again, scoring with an excellent strike into the top corner from 25 yards.

A great ball in by Ali Alshabeeb saw Ross Wilkinson power a header just over the bar as the game went from end to end.

But it was Sunderland who grabbed a fortunate winner when a shot took a huge deflection and looped over the keeper to make the final score 4-3.

north shields

Consett continue FA Vase final preparations with friendly win at North Shields

Consett continued their preparations for the FA Vase final with Hebburn Town with a 4-1 friendly win at North Shields today.

The game at the Daren Persson Stadium had to take place behind closed doors, but Terry Mitchell’s side were full value for their win.

Consett took the lead on 20 minutes when Carl Lawson’s corner from the left was headed into the six-yard box by Simon Jakab, and skipper Arjun Purewal was on hand to score with a glancing header.

Ali Alshabeeb was close to making it two when he beat two men in a run down the right, but saw his low shot bounce off the foot of the far post, with no one following in.

But the Steelmen did double their lead in the 38th minute when Matty Cornish was pushed over from behind as he surged into the box, and picked himself up to tuck away the resulting penalty.

On 54 minutes it was 3-0 when a Lawson cross from a short free-kick routine evaded Ross Wilkinson and Jakab, hit the post, and went in off Jakab’s head as his momentum carried him over the goal-line.

North Shields got one back on 62 minutes when Jamie Norvell supplied a close-range finish from a rebound after Kyle Hayes had made a good save against his old side.

But the three-goal advantage was restored in the last minute when good work by Nick Allen and Alshabeeb set up Aksel Juul to fire into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

An impromptu penalty shootout after the game also saw Consett run out victors, 4-3, with goalkeeper Kyle Hayes saving two North Shields kicks and scoring one himself!

Consett’s hopes of a double date at Wembley go West as they suffer FA Vase KO

Consett’s hopes of making it to Wembley twice in one season were shattered today when they lost to West Auckland Town in the FA Vase 3rd Round.

The Steelmen, who are still waiting to play last season’s final, were beaten 2-1 at Belle View Stadium, despite dominating the opening period.

They could have already been three up by the time Dale Pearson put them ahead in the 15th minute with his 16th goal of the season, finishing from 12 yards after great work on the left by Darren Holden.

But West turned the game on its head with two goals in six minutes. They levelled in the 17th minute through Consett old boy David Dowson.

And in the 23rd minute their captain Jamie Harwood headed home from Michael Hoganson’s corner to make it 2-1 to West.

In the 35th minute things got worse for Consett when they lost influential playmaker Luke Carr with a dislocated shoulder after a heavy challenge by Gary Brown.

Just before half-time a great run and cut back by Jermaine Metz set up sub Matty Cornish, but West’s debutant keeper Decklan Greenwood made a good save.

Ten minutes into the second half the keeper – signed yesterday from Brandon United – made an even better save from Pearson’s well-struck shot.

Midway through the half Consett had Holden sin-binned for something he said to an official, and West almost took advantage of their extra man, with Kyle Hayes making a fine save to deny Jordan Blinco.

Matty Slocombe then cleared off the line from Dowson’s header from a corner as Consett found themselves on the ropes.

Even after Holden returned to the action, Consett found themselves unable to find an equaliser, and after six minutes of added time it was West who progressed to the last 32.

  • Full match report and more pictures to follow.

Dan’s the man as Consett beat Crook in a friendly arranged to prepare for the Northern League’s restart

Dan Marriott’s first goal for the club gave Consett a 3-2 win over Crook Town today as the clubs met in a friendly intended to help get players match-fit before the Northern League restart.

And with supporters allowed back into Belle View Stadium, a good crowd was able to see the young midfielder’s superbly-executed 40-yarder, pictured top, which was the difference between the two sides.

Consett manager Terry Mitchell used the game to give his full squad some minutes, with the exception of in-form striker Dale Pearson, who was rested ahead of next week’s FA Vase tie v West Auckland.

The Steelmen took the lead on 13 minutes when Darren Holden played the ball inside to Ali Alshabeeb, who found the far corner from the edge of the box with the help of a deflection.

Crook equalised on the half-hour when Corey Nicholson, who had a spell at Consett a few seasons ago, cut in from the right and his shot beat Kyle Hayes with the help of a huge deflection off Holden.

The visitors almost took the lead four minutes before half-time when Jamie Tumilty hit the post.

But it was Consett who went in 2-1 ahead at the break when Luke Carr’s left-wing corner in added time produced a bit of a scramble, and Calvin Smith fired home.

Consett rang the changes for the second half, making six substitutions, and it was one of the newcomers, Dan Marriott, who scored what turned out t be the winning goal in the 54th minute.

Crook goalkeeper Ronan Makepeace rushed out of his area to beat Jermaine Metz to a through ball, but his headed clearance only went as far as Marriott.

The young midfielder, who has impressed enormously in his performances this season, showed tremendous vision, confidence and technique to lob the ball into the empty net from about 40 yards – the sort of goal Calvin Smith has scored a few of over the years.

To Crook’s credit they responded well, and on 74 minutes they got a goal back when Joey Smith scored with a back-post header from a left-wing cross.

Consett had further chances in the closing stages through Nick Allen, Luke Carr and Matty Cornish, but couldn’t add to the scoreline, and an entertaining, well-contested game finished 3-2.

  • Full match report and more pictures HERE.

Four-goal Dale is the Main man as Consett put on five-star show v Maltby to make FA Vase progress

Dale Pearson grabbed the headlines today as Consett beat Maltby Main 5-0 in a behind-closed-doors FA Vase 2nd Round game at Belle View Stadium.

He scored the first four goals in his best game for the club, and Jermaine Metz added a superb fifth right at the death to ease the Steelmen past their North Counties East League opponents.

The South Yorkshire side were well organised and defended well, and it took the Steelmen until the 33rd minute to open the scoring.

Matty Cornish played a ball into the left-hand channel, and Pearson lashed a powerful shot in off the near post from just inside the penalty area.

It remained 1-0 at half-time, but Pearson almost doubled his tally within a couple of minutes of the restart, only to be denied by goalkeeper James Pollard, while Calvin Smith’s header crashed back off the bar.

Just before the hour, Consett were grateful to Kyle Hayes for two good saves in a minute, first from Connor Cutts and then Bradley Beatson, and their importance was shown when Consett took complete control of the game with two goals in as many minutes.

They doubled their lead on 59 minutes when they broke quickly from their own half, Darren Holden feeding the ball to Jake Orrell, whose pass found Pearson, and the No. 9 chipped the advancing keeper.

A minute later Pearson had his hat-trick after Jermaine Metz beat the keeper to Orrell’s searching pass and lobbed it over him, for the big striker to finish from a couple of yards out.

In the 86th minute Pearson made it 4-0, taking a pass from skipper Arjun Purewal and turning his man before calmly finishing past the keeper.

And Pearson had a hand in probably the best goal of the game, supplying the pass which Metz smashed home with his left foot from 25 yards with literally the last kick of the game.

The final scoreline of 5-0 was perhaps a little harsh on the visitors, who were very much in the game for an hour, but they were unlucky to find Consett at their most clinical when it mattered.

The draw for the 3rd Round is being held on Monday, and Consett will be hoping to avoid fellow Northern League clubs Stockton and West Auckland, who also progressed today, along with the winners of the Hebburn v North Shields tie, which was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Two more Northern League clubs, Ryhope CW and Jarrow FC, will also be in the hat after their home ties also fell victim to the weather. They will play them on December 12.

Consett beat Billingham Town at a baltic Belle View to head into lockdown in a top-three place

Consett made it four wins in a row tonight to head into Lockdown Mk II in the top three of the Northern League’s 1st Division.

The Steelmen beat bottom side Billingham Town 4-1 at an icy Belle View – and could have won by a hatful if it hadn’t been for an impressive display by the visitors’ goalkeeper.

Manager Terry Mitchell made four changes to the team which had started the last three games, and it took them a while to find their rhythm. But once they did there was only going to be one winner.

They almost took the lead with a fluke goal in the 9th minute, when Ali Alshabeeb’s cross hit the bar but the first real chance came 10 minutes later.

A superb crossfield ball by skipper-for-the-night Calvin Smith picked out Darren Holden, whose curling right-footed shot brought a fine save from Billingham keeper Matty Wilkinson.

On 21 minutes Lewis Green won the ball on the edge of Billingham’s box, and played in Dale Pearson, but the big striker fired into the side netting.

On 24 minutes Consett were awarded a penalty when Carl Lawson was tripped in the box, and Dale Pearson stepped up to despatch the spot-kick into the bottom corner to make it 1-0, with his 10th goal of the season.

Dale Pearson scores from the penalty spot to make it 1-0 to Consett. Pic by Gary Welford.

On 27 minutes it was almost two when Jake Orrell’s free-kick from the right found Nick Allen, and his header was tipped over the crossbar by Wilkinson.

Four minutes later Wilkinson made another fine save, this time denying Lawson after good work by Orrell and Pearson.

But there was nothing the keeper could do about Consett’s second goal, which came in the 33rd minute. Dale Pearson latched onto Holden’s long pass, touched it past the keeper, and then finished into the empty net for 2-0.

Dale Pearson guides the ball past Billingham’s keeper for 2-0. Pic by Gary Welford.

Consett had spent 15 minutes laying siege to the visitors’ goal, but received a warning that they still posed a threat when Kyle Hayes had to save from Lewis Murphy after he burst clean through.

A mistake at the back almost proved costly for Billingham in the 39th minute, however, and Wilkinson they again had Wilkinson to thank for keeping them in the game after he saved from Ali Alshabeeb.

The resulting corner produced yet anothe chance, this time for Allen, and the keeper produced an instinctive reaction save to keep out his snapshot.

A third goal looked inevitable, and Consett almost had it two minutes before the break when a wonderful flowing five-man move gave Pearson the chance to complete a first-half hat-trick, but he fired into the side netting.

They would get the goal their dominance deserved, in the minute of added time, when Orrell’s diagonal ball picked out Darren Holden‘s run, and he finished past Wilkinson into the far corner to make it 3-0.

Darren Holden beats Wilkinson to make it 3-0. Pic by Gary Welford.

After controlling the first half so completely, Consett seemed to take their foot off the pedal a bit in the second, and it was Billingham who had the first chance of the half on 73 minutes, when Danny Boyle crashed a shot against the frame of the goal from distance, with Hayes beaten.

The let-off stung Consett into action, and in the 79th minute they made it 4-0 when Holden’s cross from the left was half-cleared as far as Ali Alshabeeb, who buried the ball in the net from 10 yards.

Ali Alshabeeb seizes on a half-clearance to make it 4-0. Pic by Gary Welford.

To their credit, Billingham kept plugging away, and got a goal back in the 83rd minute when substitute Guilherme Baltazar finished from close range.

Consett were the width of the woodwork away from restoring their four-goal advantage in the 87th minute when good pressure from Alshabeeb forced the keeper to miskick, and the ball fell to Dan Marriott, 30 yards out. His lob looked like it was heading in, but Wilkinson atoned for his error by tipping the ball onto the bar, and Matty Cornish blazed the rebound over.

In the end it was a comfortable enough win, which lifted Consett to third place, but it could have been many more if the keeper hadn’t made half a dozen top-notch saves.

Dale Pearson’s goal clinches the points for Consett against Sunderland RCA

Dale Pearson’s goal was enough to secure a 1-0 win over a dogged Sunderland RCA side today at a blustery Belle View Stadium.

It was the big striker’s fifth goal in his last three games, and his 9th of the season, and lifted Consett to 4th in the Northern League 1st Division.

The first half was a tepid affair, ruined by a gusting wind, and it was 25 minutes before either side had a shot on target, with Kyle Hayes denying RCA striker Stephen Callen at his near post.

Good work by Matty Cornish set up Pearson two minutes later, only for RCA keeper Robbie Dean to make an excellent reaction save. From the resulting corner he saved again from Arjun Purewal’s header, but the referee gave a goal kick.

Right on half-time Matty Slocombe hit a fierce effort from 20 yards which looked goalbound, but a deflection carried it just wide.

The second half saw Consett kicking into the wind, and Pearson had a good chance just a couple of minutes in after beating the visitors’ offside trap, but fired wide.

On 61 minutes Hayes made a fine save from James Fairley, then Luke Carr fired inches wide after good work down the right by Jermaine Metz.

Pearson saw an effort deflected wide after a great pass by Darren Holden, and then RCA had their best spell of the game, with Hayes saving Anthony Callaghan’s free-kick and Ryan Leonard firing across the face of goal.

Cornish had an excellent chance in the 70th minute when he beat two men and brought another fine save out of Dean at his near post.

The winning goal came in the 74th minute, when Consett broke quickly and Carr’s pass sent Dale Pearson clear. This time he won the battle of wills with Dean, finishing from the edge of the box, pictured top.

Consett’s winning margin could have been greater, but Slocombe fired one chance into the side netting in the 85th minute, and another narrowly wide two minutes into added time.

When the final whistle went there was little doubt that the best team had won, and Consett moved to within two points of second-placed North Shields.

  • Full match report and more pictures to follow.

Consett edge seven-goal thriller with 95th-minute winner at Newton Aycliffe

Consett showed tremendous fighting spirit to come from behind three times tonight and then snatch a last-gasp winner to give them a 4-3 victory at high-flying Newton Aycliffe.

They went behind inside the first minute to their third-placed hosts, levelled three times and missed a penalty before securing the points with a stunning Dale Pearson strike in the 95th minute at the Beaumont Landscapes Stadium.

Even by Consett standards, this was a rollercoaster of a game. the fell behind with not even a minute on the clock when they lost possession in their own half, and Ben Reay played in Adam Burnicle, who gave the home side the perfect start.

On six minutes the scores were level when Nick Allen slid a pass through to Dale Pearson, who kept his composure to fire home from 12 yards for his third goal in two games.

Aycliffe regained the lead on 25 minutes when Allen tripped Aaron Brown in the area, and Jake Petitjean made it 2-1 from the resulting penalty.

Four minutes later it was all-square again when Calvin Smith’s pass was flicked on by Matty Cornish, and Luke Carr took advantage of indecision in the home defence to prod the ball home.

Luke Carr scores Consett’s second equaliser at Newton Aycliffe.

Aycliffe took the lead again on 57 minutes when Petitjean won the ball in the middle of the pitch and fed it to Reay, whose pass between two defenders gave Adam Burnicle the chance to finish through Kyle Hayes’s legs for 3-2.

On 65 minutes Consett had a golden opportunity to level for the third time when Pearson was sandwiched between two defenders as he homed in on goal and the referee awarded a penalty. Luke Carr tried a ‘Panenka’ chip from the penalty spot, but to his horror the ball sailed a foot over the bar.

The pendulum swung in the Steelmen’s favour in the 74th minute when Aycliffe keeper Adam Pickford, who’d made a couple of excellent saves, had to be substituted.

With no spare keeper on the bench, Aycliffe were forced to put outfield player Marc Costello in goal, and in the 85th minute it was 3-3, as Consett sub Ali Alshabeeb, who’d only been on the pitch two minutes, got on the end of Matty Cornish’s flick-on to stab home the equaliser with his first touch.

The final drama was yet to come, and when the referee signalled six minutes of added time, Consett smelled blood. They got the win their overall display deserved in the 95th minute, when Alshabeeb’s pass picked out Dale Pearson, who smashed home the winner from an acute angle.

Dale Pearson, right, turns away after firing Consett’s late winner at Newton Aycliffe.

It was a stunning goal to win any game, let alone one as good as this, which was a superb advert for Northern League football.

  • Full match report and more pictures to follow.

Consett bring home three points after winging it at Ashington

A much-improved performance saw Consett return to winning ways today when they headed home from Ashington with three points after a convincing 3-0 victory.

Matty Slocombe’s return to the starting line-up for the first time in 12 games gave the Steelmen a much more solid look, and they took the game to their hosts with an attacking 3-5-2 line-up, with Jermaine Metz and Darren Holden as wing-backs, and midfielder Calvin Smith as part of a back three!

Ashington almost took the lead on seven minutes when Lee Scott hit the post, but Consett got the breakthrough on 22 minutes when Luke Carr’s through ball sent Dale Pearson clear, and he fired home from just inside the box, pictured top.

Two minutes later the lead was doubled when Darren Holden hit a speculative effort from the angle of the penalty area, and it ended up in the far corner. Cross or shot? Consett didn’t care, it was 2-0.

On 32 minutes it was almost three when Jake Orrell’s cross picked up Slocombe, whose diving header brought a good save from Ashington keeper Adam McHugh.

Consett enjoyed a stroke of luck on 35 minutes when Ashington hit the post for a second time, this time through Jack Butler, but the game swayed heavily in their direction when the Colliers were reduced to 10 men.

Pearson ran onto a similar pass to the one which had brought his goal, and went down under a challenge from Thomas Bramley. Ashington thought he got the ball, the referee judged otherwise, and showed the centre-back a straight red card.

To add insult to injury Consett almost scored from the resulting free-kick, but McHugh made a good save from Matty Cornish.

Ashington made a double substitution for the second half in a bid to salvage something from the game, but Consett went straight at their opponents from the off, and could have extended their lead just a minute in when Carr’s shot was saved and Pearson put the rebound wide with the goal gaping.

He made no such mistake in the 49th minute when excellent work by Cornish and Holden down the left saw the latter pick out Dale Pearson 10 yards out, and he fired home left-footed for 3-0.

On 56 minutes Pearson could have had a hat-trick after McHugh made a fantastic reaction save to prevent Luke Salmon putting through his own goal, but the No 9 put his follow-up header wide.

McHugh made good saves from Carr and Holden as Consett sought a fourth, while Kyle Hayes maintained his clean sheet by preventing a corner from Ashington’s new signing Paul Robinson from going straight in.

Ali Alshabeeb and Carl Lawson both had chances to add to the scoreline as Consett finished the game on top, but they were more than satisfied with three goals and a clean sheet.

  • Full match report and more pictures to follow.

Consett’s hopes of climbing into top six derailed by Shildon

Consett’s hopes of climbing into the top six of Northern League Division One came off the rails tonight when they lost 2-0 at home to Shildon.

The Railwaymen arrived at Belle View Stadium a point and a place behind their hosts, but turned in an impressive performance to take all three points and grab 6th spot for themselves.

Shildon took the lead in the 14th minute, when Consett skipper Arjun Purewal was harshly judged to have fouled an opponent when he appeared to have won the ball in a tackle.

David Palmer swung in the free-kick, and Kurt Matthews headed home to make it 1-0 to Shildon.

On 31 minutes they almost doubled their lead when Jack Vaulks headed powerfully goalwards from a corner, but Kyle Hayes made a fine reaction save.

The Consett keeper was called into action again three minutes before the break, when possession was surrendered at the back, but he stood up well to save from former teammate Michael Sweet.

The second half saw Consett move the ball quicker, and their best chance of an equaliser came in the 57th minute, when Lewis Green threaded a pass to Jake Orrell, but Shaun Newbrook saved with his feet.

That was the only stop the Shidlon keeper had to make all game, as those in front of him defended robustly, putting their bodies on the line to win tackles and headers and block shots.

Matty Cornish in particular was subjected to some rough treatment. One ‘challenge’ saw him dragged to the ground by his neck, pictured, yet not even win a free-kick, and another was from behind, off the ground, and went straight through him, but didn’t even earn the culprit a talking-to.

Yet somehow Consett won the caution count by 2-1, as Shildon were repeatedly allowed to get away with some questionable tactics. That’s not to take away anything from their performance, however, as they were better in every department.

Their second goal, which clinched the game, came on 77 minutes, when Consett lost possession in their own half and Dean Thexton fed strike partner Michael Sweet, who buried it in the bottom corner.

The final scoreline could have been even more emphatic; Matthews rattled the bar from distance, and old boy Danny Craggs wasn’t too far away with a well-struck effort after coming on as a sub.

Consett had been out-fought and out-thought long before the final whistle, on a night when they were second-best all over the pitch.

  • Full match report and more pictures to follow.