Consett have today had it confirmed by the FA that they will be playing in the Northern Premier League Division One East next season.
Continue reading “Consett’s opponents for next season revealed as our place in Northern Premier League Division One East is confirmed”
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.
A brave second-half comeback by 10-man Consett came to nothing tonight when they were beaten 4-3 at Ashington in the semi-final of the Division One Cup.
Trailing 3-1 at half-time, they got the score back to 3-3 despite having Calvin Smith sent off, and were within six minutes of taking the tie to a penalty shoot-out.
But they shot themselves in the foot by conceding a poor goal straight from the restart, and had Darren Holden sent off after the final whistle.
The red cards means Smith and Holden will both be suspended from the one-off promotion play-off on Saturday 30 April, leaving manager Andy Coyles with an almighty headache and a severely-depleted squad.
Ashington took the lead after just five minutes, when Kyle Hayes fumbled a corner and big centre-back Ben Harmison bundled the ball home from point-blank range.
Three minutes later the Steelmen were level, after David Dowson’s knockdown to Carl Lawson, who fired in off the post to make it 1-1.
Hayes saved well from Robert-Lee Taylor on 19 minutes, but there was nothing he could do two minutes later when Lawson lost his man and Jordan Summerly finished low past the keeper for 2-1.
Lawson almost grabbed a second equaliser a minute later, but saw his shot cleared off the line by a defender, and the visitors were made to pay on 24 minutes when Ashington scored again.
Smith gave the ball away as Consett passed their way out from the back, and the Colliers’ top scorer Dean Briggs drove at the makeshift defence to fire past Hayes and make it 3-1.
Colin Larkin went close to reducing the arrears five minutes before half-time when he chested the ball down 25 yards out and fired into the side netting, but it was a second-best Consett team who headed into the dressing rooms at the break.
Ashington were backed by a vociferous crowd who were appealing for every decision, real and otherwise, and they demanded a red card for a Jake Orrell foul on 55 minutes, but the referee decided yellow was sufficient.
Three minutes later they got their wish when Calvin Smith was shown a straight red card for a challenge which many onlookers thought had won the ball.
Consett now had a mountain to climb, but bringing on strikers Scott Heslop and Dale Pearson for David Dowson and Luke Carr injected fresh energy into their attacking play.
They were indebted to Hayes for keeping them in the game on 65 minutes with a superb double save, but on 73 minutes they were right back in it when Scott Heslop bulleted in a header from Orrell’s corner.
On 83 minutes Consett’s endeavours were rewarded when home right-back Liam Doyle wrestled Pearson to the ground, pictured top, and the referee awarded a penalty, which was despatched by Colin Larkin to make it 3-3.
Incredibly, within 60 seconds Consett’s fightback was in vain when, straight from the kick off, they failed to deal with a surging run from the halfway line, and when the ball fell to ex-Steelman Dean Briggs he fired home what turned out to be the winner.
If such late heartache wasn’t bad enough, Holden – Consett’s only fit defender – was red-carded after the final whistle for something he said to the referee, which rules him out of the promotion play-off.
With almost an entire XI currently unavailable, the Steelmen’s chances of playing in the Northern Premier League next season appear to be receding rapidly.
But before the one-off away game against as-yet unknown opponents there’s the small matter of completing our Northern League fixtures this Saturday, with a home game against Ashington, kick-off 3pm.
Consett’s slim title hopes were all but extinguished as they suffered a home defeat today to relegation-threatened Northallerton.
Continue reading “Depleted Consett rue missed chances as Northallerton grab a late winner”
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Consett lost the inaugural ‘Steel Cup’ today – but more importantly saw their lead at the top of the Northern League cut to six points by a 2-1 defeat at Redcar Athletic.
It was the same scoreline by which the newly-promoted Teessiders won at Belle View three weeks ago, giving them a league double over their fellow Steelmen after our first-ever meetings.
The result tips the balance of the championship race in favour of our closest rivals North Shields, who beat Penrith 5-0, and now have 65 points to our 71, but with four games in hand.
The opening exchanges were tense, and Consett had the first real chance midway through the half when defender Matty Ridley had a header from a corner cleared off the line.
A minute later No 9 Scott Heslop looked certain to score when a Lewis Green pass sent him clear on goal, but he put his effort high and wide.
Consett did take the lead on 27 minutes, when Darren Holden’s long throw was chested down by Heslop, and James Martin fired home from 15 yards.
But the home side were level within a minute when dangerman Isaac Walker, who scored the winner at Belle View, cut in from the left and struck a shot which took a deflection which sent the ball looping over goalkeeper Ross Coombe.
Luke Carr had an effort deflected wide as Consett sought to regain the lead, and Coombe then saved well from Walker, so it remained 1-1 at half-time.
A penalty shootout between supporters during the break saw Consett triumph 4-3, with keeper Peter Lockeron saving three kicks and Sam Martin slamming home the decisive kick.
But it was Redcar who took the initiative when the game resumed, and Isaac Walker beat his man and fired in a dipping effort to make it 2-1 to the home side on 55 minutes.
Consett rang the changes, bringing on three substitutes in a bid to get back into the game, and one of them, David Dowson, pictured top, almost equalised on 77 minutes, but saw his 20-yarder come back off the base of the post.
That was as near as the visitors got to finding an equaliser, and it was a dispirited league leaders who trooped off the field as news of North Shields’ win filtered through.
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.
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.
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.
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.
