Tag: matty slocombe

brighouse

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.

hebburn

Patched-up Consett suffer heaviest defeat of the season at Hebburn despite Scotty scorcher

Consett ended their four-game goal drought today – but it proved to be in vain as high-flying Hebburn Town came from behind to beat them 5-1.

The Steelmen’s patched-up side took the lead in the 34th minute at the Green Energy Stadium with a stunning 25-yard strike from Scott Fenwick, pictured top.

But the Hornets equalised just before half-time through Olly Martin, and ran amok in the second half to inflict their visitors’ heaviest defeat of the season.

With Jake Orrell injured and Ben Milburn suspended, Consett had to reshuffle their pack again, giving starting XI debuts to two players, and bringing two more off the bench as their injury problems went from bad to worse.

Left-back Jack Moody and forward Scott Jasper, signed from Whickham and Ryton respectively, started the game, but neither finished it.

Moody had to be replaced at half-time by 41-year-old assistant manager Wayne Buchanan after suffering a blow to the head, while Nathan Lawrence, recently re-signed from Sunderland RCA, came on when Matty Slocombe limped off just before the hour.

By that time Consett had gone behind to Martin’s second on 54 minutes, and Hebburn added further goals from Jake Hackett (74 mins), Liam Henderson (78 mins) and James Harrison (90 mins).

The result saw Consett drop three places to 13th, six points clear of the relegation zone, while Hebburn leapfrogged Stockton Town to go second behind runaway leaders Worksop Town.

The Steelmen have a free midweek before their next game, when they entertain 8th-placed Cleethorpes Town at Belle View Stadium next Saturday. Kick-off is 3pm, and they will be hoping to get back one or two of the eight players who manager Tony Fawcett was unable to call on.

  • Full match report and more pictures HERE.

long eaton

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.

Consett go down fighting as they lose to high-flying Worksop Town

Consett went toe to toe with runaway league leaders Worksop Town today, but just fell short as they tried to halt their promotion juggernaut, losing 2-1 at Belle View Stadium.

The Steelmen, who had five wins in their last six games, took the lead after five minutes when Calvin Smith hit a dipping half-volley into the corner from 15 yards, pictured top.

On 12 minutes they thought they had doubled their lead when new signing Nathan Greenwood converted from Jake Orrell’s through ball, but was flagged offside.

Worksop levelled in the 20th minute when a corner was headed back across goal by James Hanson and Josh Wilde nodded in from close range.

And they took the lead on the half-hour with an almost identical goal, Jack Broadhead finishing from Hanson’s set-up.

Greenwood missed a good chance to level just after the break, but the game lost some of its momentum midway through the second half when Consett’s top scorer Zak Atkinson was stretchered off with a serious-looking injury.

Though visiting skipper Hamza Bencherif hit the bar with a header with two minutes left, Consett almost snatched a deserved point deep into injury time when Matty Slocombe fired just wide.

  • Full match report and more pictures to follow.

Another good away point as Consett take a draw from Long Eaton United

Consett’s first-ever trip to Long Eaton United’s Grange Park ground ended in a 1-1 draw, although the Steelmen may feel slightly disappointed to have not taken all three after playing for the last quarter-of-an-hour against ten men.

The game got off to a sensational start with both goals being scored in the first ten minutes. The home side took the lead with barely four minutes on the clock. Jamie Walker crossed from the left wing and the ball somehow found its way into the Consett via a deflection which totally deceived Mark Foden.

The lead didn’t last long though as Consett levelled the scores four minutes later. Karl Byrne crossed from the right wing, Kieren Aplin played the ball back across goal and Matty Slocombe was on hand to force the ball home from six yards

After the early fireworks, the game settled down into a more attritional affair with neither side managing to gain the upper hand. Long Eaton’s best chance of the half fell to Kam Campbell in the 36th minute, who drilled in a low shot from inside the area, which Foden initially spilled but safely gathered the rebound.

Two minutes before the break Zak Atkinson saw a header from an Even Horwood cross loop just over the bar, and the break was reached with the score 1-1.

After the break, the game became much more feisty with referee, who had kept his cards in his pocket in the first half, force to issue a number of yellows to both sides.

Consett were creating the better chances in the second half, and a great strike from Adam Mitchell in the 58th minute was brilliantly tipped over by the Long Eaton keeper, Mitchell Leivers. From the resulting corner, the ball ended up in the Long Eaton net but the referee spotted a foul and disallowed it.

Nine minutes later, Consett had the best chance of the half when Byrne’s cross from the right was flicked on by Atkinson and Cyril Giraud, with almost his first touch after coming on as a substitute, stretched for it and stabbed the ball over from close in.

With sixteen minutes remaining, Luke Cox picked up a second yellow card, and the home side were down to ten men. Consett were unable to capitalise, although they did force Leivers to pull off an even better save than his earlier effort from Mitchell. Byrne crossed from the right, and a spectacular flying volley from Lewis Green brought a superb reaction save from the home custodian.

Honours were even at the final whistle, after highly entertaining and competitive Northern Premier League match.

Full match report and pictures here.

west auckland

Consett drawn against West Auckland in the Durham Challenge Cup

Consett were today drawn against former Northern League rivals West Auckland Town in the 1st Round of this season’s Durham Challenge Cup.

The date and time for the tie have yet to be arranged, but it is likely to be at Belle View Stadium on Tuesday 11 October, with a 7.45pm kick off.

We last faced West at Belle View in a pre-season friendly on 23 July, when the visitors won 2-0.

The clubs have met many times in the county cup, most recently in 2011-12, when Kenny Lindoe’s depleted Consett side won 3-2 after extra time in a 2nd Round tie at Darlington Road.

Their matchwinner that night was Harrison Davies, who scored a hat-trick, but the Consett side also included a promising 17-year-old called Matty Slocombe, who was making his debut.

This season’s tie could bring us up against former Steelmen Scott Heslop, Jake Stafford, Corey Nicholson, along with Lee Hume, who is dual registered for both clubs, while Consett’s Adam Mitchell, Colin Larkin, Darren Holden and Ross Coombe have also turned out for West.

north shields

Consett pick up their first Northern Premier League point by drawing with North Shields

Consett picked up their first point of the season tonight in a 0-0 draw with North Shields – but were the width of the woodwork away from making it all three.

Encouraged by Saturday’s battling performance at Cleethorpes Town, the Steelmen hosted last season’s Northern League champions at Belle View Stadium in their first home Northern Premier League game.

A healthy midweek crowd of 429 was treated to a good, hard-fought contest between two well-matched sides – and all that was missing was a goal.

David Robinson had the ball in the net for the visitors on 16 minutes, but the ‘goal’ was correctly ruled out for offside.

On 28 minutes Shields were grateful to keeper Finlay Hodgson for keeping the scoresheet blank as he stood up well to Cyril Giraud’s fiercely-struck drive.

Seven minutes later Hodgson made an even better save from Jake Orrell, tipping his effort onto the bar after the midfielder created space for the shot with a tremendous piece of skill.

North Shields rarely threatened, with their big striker Dan Wilson kept well in check by the home defence, and Consett keeper Ross Coombe didn’t have a serious save to make all night.

Consett had a big shout for a penalty on 72 minutes when a surging run from Matty Slocombe was brought to an abrupt halt by his Shields counterpart Anth Myers.

The referee decided the offence, pictured top, was right on the edge of the box, and awarded a free-kick, which was fired against the foot of the post by Orrell, with the rebound evading the following-in Zak Atkinson.

Dan Marriott had a late chance to be Consett’s hero, but his curling shot from 20 yards a minute after coming on as sub flashed just over the bar.

It ended honours even, but the Steelmen are off the mark, and can take a lot of positives from their performance – probably the best of the season so far.

  • Full match report and more pictures to follow.
  • Next up for Consett is a rearranged home game against Tadcaster Albion this Saturday, 20 August, KO 3pm.

liversedge

Consett draw at Liversedge in their final pre-season friendly

Consett came from two goals down to claim a 2-2 draw at Liversedge in a proverbial games of two halves in their final pre-season friendly.

The West Yorkshire side, who won the Northern Premier League Division One East last season, scoed twice in the first half.

But an improved second-half performance saw the Steelmen score twice in the last quarter of the game to claim a draw.

Liversedge took the lead in the 20th minute with the first real chance of the game. A corner came in from the left and big centre-back Jack Steers rose highest in the penalty area to head into the top corner.

Consett were finding it hard to create much against big, well-drilled opponents, and the home side doubled their lead in the 40th minute. Keeper Mark Foden made a good save from Wilson, but Jack Steers was first to the rebound to notch his second goal of the game.

Two minutes later it should have been three when the trialist No 17 turned his man superbly and teed up Wilson, but the No 11 somehow missed the target with the goal at his mercy.

Consett made two changes for the second half, bringing on Darren Holden and Ben Milburn for Kieren Aplin and Mark McLeod, and they grew into the game, though Foden made a good save with his feet from a Liversedge sub to keep them in it.

Consett got a goal back in the 68th minute when Declan Bisset hit a hopeful effort towards the back post which looked like a cross rather than a shot, but it dipped over the keeper and ended up in the far corner.

On 80 minutes Holden whipped in a great cross from the left and when it was only half cleared, Cyril Giraud was on hand to fire home from the edge of the box.

Four minutes from the end Consett had the chance to pull off an unlikely win whern another Holden cross picked out Matty Slocombe, whose volleyed effort went to Dan Marriott, who couldn’t turn it in.

Attention now turns to next Saturday, when Consett’s season kicks off in earnest when they travel to Goole in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup, kick off 3pm.

A limited number of places are available on the official club coach to the game, priced £20, on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact 01207 588886 or call in at the club to book – seats must be paid for in advance.

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.