Goalkeeper Aaron Steavens is Consett’s second signing of the summer, joining from North Shields.
Continue reading “Goalkeeper Aaron Steavens is Consett’s second signing of the summer”
Goalkeeper Aaron Steavens is Consett’s second signing of the summer, joining from North Shields.
Continue reading “Goalkeeper Aaron Steavens is Consett’s second signing of the summer” →A Consett side missing six regulars lost 1-0 to former Northern League rivals North Shields in a scrappy game at the Daren Persson Stadium tonight.
With five players out injured and another suspended, the Steelmen were always in for a tough night against the side who pipped them to the league championship last season.
And despite North Shields’ lowly position just outside the relegation play-off places, it was them who scored the only goal of a tepid game.
It came in the 35th minute when Cameron Cunningham took advantage of a double defensive lapse to grab what turned out to be the winner.
Midfielder Danny Barlow, signed today on loan from Blyth Spartans, came straight into Consett’s starting XI, and had an early chance deflected wide.
But it was centre-back Dan Capewell, pictured top, who came closest to snatching a point, with a 90th-minute header which came back off the bar.
The result means Consett remain 10th in the NPL Division One East, eight points off the promotion play-offs, but 10 points clear of the danger zone at the foot of the table.
Next up is another away trip on Saturday, this time to Bridlington Town, who are 14th, four places and four behind behind Consett.
Consett face two away games in four days this week, starting with the visit to North Shields on Wednesday, 15 February.
Continue reading “Consett face former Northern League rivals North Shields in their next away day” →Consett’s scheduled away game at North Shields today has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
An inspection took place at the Daren Persson Stadium at 11am, and the pitch has been deemed unplayable.
The Northern Premier League Division One East fixture will be rearranged, to a date to be fixed.
Consett’s next fixture is a home game against Pontefract Collieries next Saturday, 14 January, with a 3pm kick-off at Belle View Stadium.
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.
Consett are delighted to announce the signing of former Blyth Spartans and North Shields centre-back Ben Milburn.
Continue reading “Consett sign title-winning centre-back Ben Milburn” →Consett were today handed an away fixture at Cleethorpes Town on the opening day of their debut season in the Pitching In Northern Premier League.
The trip to Linden Club in Grimsby will be on Saturday 13 August – seven days after the Steelmen open their season with an FA Cup visit to Goole AFC.
It is a tough start, as the Owls finished third in Division One East last season, and it’s followed by a first NPL home game against more familiar opponents, North Shields, on Tuesday 16 August.
The return game against the club who pipped us to the Northern League title last season is at the Daren Persson Stadium on Saturday 7 January.
Other games of note include a trip to Dunston on Bank Holiday Monday, 29 August, with the Tynesiders visiting Belle View on Monday 2 January.
We face more ex-Northern League foes, Shildon, at Dean Street, on Tuesday 6 September – four days before playing them there in the FA Trophy! The return league game at Belle View is on Tuesday 7 February.
The games against Hebburn Town are on Saturday 22 October (home) and Saturday 4 March (away), while we play Stockton Town away on Boxing Day, 26 December, and at home on Easter Monday, 10 April.
There’s only one far-flung midweek awayday at the moment – to Pontefract Collieries in West Yorkshire on Tuesday 23 August – our second away game (though there may be more, depending on cup progress).
Consett’s hopes of a first-ever Northern League title are hanging by a thread after the last away game of the season ended in a 2-1 defeat at Penrith today.
Andy Coyles’ team needed a win at his former club to keep the pressure on second-placed North Shields, who have four games in hand over the leaders.
But for the second weekend in a row the Steelmen threw away the lead to suffer a disappointing defeat, and the gap at the top has now closed to three points after North Shields won.
Consett took the lead at in the 24th minute at Frenchfield Park when Scott Heslop played the ball off Penrith skipper Grant Davidson and a huge deflection, pictured top, gave keeper Arran Taylor no chance.
Heslop limped off in the 36th minute, to be replaced by David Dowson, and the sub had a chance almost immediately from Darren Holden’s pass, but couldn’t get a clean shot away, pictured below.
Holden himself then had two decent opportunities to increase Consett’s lead before the break, but missed both, and it remained 1-0 at half-time.
Five minutes into the second half Jake Orrell had Consett’s best chance of the game when Dowson flicked on Nick Cassidy’s free-kick, but the No 10 was denied from close range by the keeper.
It was a big save, as the Cumbrians – in desperate need of points for their relegation fight – equalised in the 63rd minute, when Alfie Brunskill took advantage of a defensive error to fire home.
With news filtering through that title rivals North Shields were beating Guisborough 4-2, Consett needed a goal, but when it came in the 88th minute the matchwinning strike was at the other end.
Jamie Armstrong picked out Davidson with a right-wing corner, and although Consett keeper Kyle Hayes made a good save from the centre-back’s powerful header, Luke Brown reacted quickest to the loose ball to smash home the winner from close range, pictured below.
Consett now need to win their final two home league games, against in-form Northallerton Town and seventh-placed Ashington, to give themselves any hope of the championship.
North Shields have now completed their home fixtures, and end the season with six consecutive away games, starting at Thornaby on Wednesday.
Consett take a break from league action by hosting West Auckland in the Division One Cup quarter-final on Tuesday, but could be toppled as leaders for the first time since September 1 by the time they next kick a ball in Division One.
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.
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.
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.
A new cup for Division One clubs only is to replace this season’s League Cup – and Consett have been drawn away to North Shields in the opening round.
Continue reading “League Cup shelved in favour of Division One Cup – Consett draw North Shields” →