Tag: pre-season friendly

gibbons

Consett wrap up pre-season by coming from behind to beat Alnwick Town

Consett concluded their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 win over Northern Alliance side Alnwick Town at Belle View Stadium – but had to come from behind to do it.

With manager Tony Fawcett away, his assistant Wayne Buchanan took the reins for the first time, but his side quickly fell behind to opponents three divisions below them.

Alnwick broke quickly from a Consett corner in the fourth minute, and Lewis Fairbairn scored with a fine shot across keeper Aaron Steavens into the far corner.

It was a stunning goal, and with the home side struggling to make much headway against a stubborn visiting defence and a strong wind, the visitors almost doubled their lead in the 29th minute when 10 broke away, but this time Steavens made a good stop.

It remained 1-0 to Alnwick at half-time, and Consett rang the changes at the break, using all five substitutes. Within five minutes of the restart they were level.

Jack Gibbons picked up possession on the right and drove in to the penalty area, taking on two defenders. When he was tripped there was only one outcome, and after the referee pointed to the penalty spot Zak Atkinson stepped up to level the scores at 1-1.

Just before the hour the Alnwick keeper made a good save to deny Ben Ramsey as he cut in from the left, but there was nothing he could do two minutes later as Consett took the lead.

Ramsey swung a corner in from the left, Ben Milburn headed it back into the danger zone, and Dan Capewell was on hand to half-volley home from six yards for his second goal in successive games.

Wil Shaw came close to make it three in the 81st minute, but was denied by a fine low save by the keeper, who had already made a stunning fingertip save from Calvin Smith (though it wouldn’t have counted, as the Consett man was ruled offside anyway).

Consett weren’t finished, and in the 87th minute it was 3-1 when Jack Gibbons picked up possession outside the box and drove a fine shot into the bottom left corner, despite Alnwick’s sub keeper getting a hand to it.

Gibbons almost had a second right at the death, but this time the keeper got a stronger hand to the ball, and a defender completed the clearance before it could roll over the line.

  • Full match report, picture gallery, video highlights and post-match interview to follow.
scott fenwick

Scotty leads the way with a hat-trick as Consett enjoy gr-eight friendly win

Consett won their latest pre-season friendly in style tonight, beating Tow Law Town 8-0 in a game switched to Belle View at short notice.

Tony Fawcett’s team scored four goals in each half, with striker Scott Fenwick, pictured top, grabbing his first-ever hat-trick for the club.

Consett took almost half an hour to open the scoring in the previous week’s friendly between the two sides. Tonight it took just nine minutes, as Ben Ramsey’s deep corner was headed in at the far post by Scott Fenwick.

On 15 minutes it was 2-0, from another Ramsey flag-kick. This time his corner was headed back across goal by Zak Atkinson, and Dan Capewell nodded home from six yards.

Three minutes later Atkinson turned provider again, playing a super ball in from the right which Scott Fenwick finished first-time from 12 yards to make it 3-0.

Tow Law’s keeper made a good save to deny Ramsey, but there was nothing he could do about Consett’s fourth goal in the 32nd minute, as Jack Gibbons slotted in his first goal for the club, despite the efforts of a defender on the line.

jack gibbons
Jack Gibbons scored his first goal for Consett – and then added a second. Pic: Keith Marley.

Three minutes into the second half Scott Fenwick completed his hat-trick, firing into the roof of the net from six yards after another excellent Atkinson set-up.

A flurry of substitutions around the hour mark saw the game lost some of its flow, but Consett extended their lead on 72 minutes when Adam Mitchell’s ball over the top put Jack Gibbons through on goal and he rounded the keeper to make it 6-0.

Four minutes later Wil Shaw made it 7-0 when he collected the ball 25 yards out, beat his man and blasted home from the edge of the box.

scott fenwick
Scott Fenwick completes his hat-trick to make it 5-0 to Consett. Pic: Kenny Taylor.

The scoring was completed in the 86th minute when a Mitchell cross from the left was spilled by the keeper into the path of Kaleb Young, who had a simple tap-in for his second goal in successive games.

Consett’s final friendly is on Saturday, 29 July, when they take on Alnwick Town at Belle View Stadium, with a 3pm kick-off. Admission is the normal pre-season prices of £7/£5/£3.

  • Full match report, video highlights, picture gallery and manager interview to follow.
tow law

Consett’s next friendly at Tow Law switched to Belle View Stadium

Consett’s next pre-season friendly, scheduled to be at Tow Law Town tomorrow night, has been switched to Belle View Stadium.

The game was meant to be at Ironworks Road, but heavy rain over the weekend has left the Lawyers needing to protect their pitch.

They kick off their Northern League season on Saturday, and have two home games in the space of four days, so don’t want to risk making a heavy pitch unplayable.

Kick-off at Belle View is 7.30pm, with the usual pre-season admission prices of £7/£5/£3 applying.

mckinnon

Consett’s neighbours Tow Law step in at short notice after Newcastle Benfield pull out of friendly

Consett’s opponents for tonight’s pre-season friendly will now be Tow Law Town, after our scheduled visitors Newcastle Benfield pulled out.

The Tynesiders said they were unable to field a team for the game at Belle View, but after an appeal on social media the Lawyers got in touch to fill the gap.

They were supposed to be entertaining Newton Aycliffe in a friendly, but after today’s heavy rain did not want to risk damaging their pitch ahead of a busy schedule of home games.

Kick-off at Belle View Stadium is 7.30pm, with admission priced at £7 for adults, £5 for OAPs and £3 for under-16s.

It’s the clubs’ first meeting since August 2020, when Consett won 1-0 in a friendly at Belle View with a close-range header from Ali Alshabeeb.

The game will bring Ryan McKinnon, who returned to Consett over the summer, up against the team who he captained to promotion to the Northern League’s 1st Division.

Consett confirm eight-game schedule of pre-season friendlies

Consett AFC can today confirm the club’s full list of pre-season friendlies ahead of our first campaign in The Pitching In Northern Premier League (NPL).

There are eight games in all – five at home and three away – ahead of our NPL Division One East bow on Saturday 13 August.

We will receive our league fixtures at the NPL annual general meeting on Saturday June 11, but in the meantime can confirm the following friendly games:

Chairman Frank Bell said: “We’ve had a couple of late withdrawals, including one in the last 24 hours, which has meant having to find new opponents at short notice.

“But we’re happy to now be able to announce a pre-season programme which we believe will prepare us well as we step up to the Northern Premier League.”

We kick off with our first visit since 2017 to Berwick Rangers, who now play in the Lowland League, and we will also face three Northern League sides.

The first is Birtley Town, which brings a swift reunion with Paul Bryson, pictured below, who helped us to promotion as Andy Coyles’ assistant before recently departing for another of his former clubs.

They are followed by Whitley Bay and West Auckland Town, who are expected to be among the league’s leading sides next season.

We face two regular pre-season opponents in Workington and Morpeth Town, both of which will provide good tests. Workington finished second last season in the NPL Division One West, while Morpeth were 10th in the NPL Premier Division.

The last two opponents will provide very tough tests indeed, particularly as the games are both away from home.

Liversedge were last season’s champions of the NPL division we are joining, while our old Northern League friends Marske were runners-up, and join them in the Premier Division for 2022-23 after securing promotion via the play-offs.

Admission prices for the friendlies, along with matchday charges and season ticket details for our league fixtures, will be announced in due course.

kyle hayes

Keeper Kyle stars as Consett keep South Shields at bay

Goalkeeper Kyle Hayes was Consett’s star man as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at South Shields in their latest pre-season friendly tonight.

He led by example as the Steelmen fought a spirited rearguard action against a strong Mariners side, who play in the top flight of the Northern Premier League, two divisions above Consett

Hayes made a string of excellent saves to spare his team the same fate as recently promoted Stockton Town, who lost 6-1 at the 1st Cloud Arena at the weekend.

The only goal of the game, played in front of an impressive crowd of 1,012, came five minutes before half-time, when Consett cheaply conceded possession deep in their own half.

Callum Ross took the ball off Carl Lawson and played through the in-form Darius Osei, who slid the ball under Hayes for his third goal in two games.

It wasn’t quite one-way traffic, with Dale Pearson, Matty Slocombe and Jermaine Metz all having decent chances in the first half – the latter’s deflected shot hitting the top of the bar.

That one mistake aside, Consett defended well as they were forced to keep their discipline and shape for long spells of the game.

Shields began to lay siege to their visitors’ goal after Consett made a raft of substitutions from the hour mark onwards, but Hayes’ heroics and some determined defending by those in front of him meant the hosts had to settle for 1-0.

Consett’s final pre-season friendly is this Saturday, 24 July, when they entertain another Northern Premier League side, Workington, at Belle View Stadium.

Kick-off is 3pm, and admission costs for £5 for adults/£3 for concessions/£1 for under-16s.

blyth town

New boys shine in the sun as Consett beat Blyth Town

Consett’s new signings shone today as the Steelmen won their latest friendly, beating Blyth Town 6-2 in their latest friendly at a sun-drenched Belle View Stadium.

All six goals against the Northern League newcomers came from players who have been added to Terry Mitchell’s squad since the end of last season.

Consett got off to the best possible start, taking the lead after three minutes when Callum Guy picked up the ball 25 yards out and drilled it into the bottom corner to make it 1-0, pictured below.

blyth town
Callum Guy’s strike makes it 1-0 to Consett. Pic by Gary Welford.

But Blyth, who will be making their 2nd Division debut this season, responded well, equalising on seven minutes when Jack Fennell touched home a cross from the left.

Midway through the half, with temperatures reaching a sweltering 27C, there was the unusual sight of the referee halting play so the players and officials could have a much-needed drinks break.

The game had hardly had the chance to settle when Consett regained the lead on 27 minutes. Jake Orrell’s excellent ball saw Stephen Callen beat a defender and the keeper to the ball, pictured top. His effort came back off the post, but he followed it in to tap home from no more than a foot out.

Incredibly, within a minute Blyth had levelled again, when another move down the left saw Adam Johnson slide in to finish from close range at the second attempt.

Consett took the lead for the third time on 34 minutes, when another Orrell pass was helped on, and Callum Guy ran through to lob the keeper for his second of the game, the ball going in off the underside of the bar.

blyth town
Callum Guy dinks the ball over the keeper to make it 3-2 to Consett. Pic by Gary Welford.

Half-time was reached with the score at 3-2, and Consett made their usual raft of changes for the second half, including a first pre-season appearance for Luke Carr.

In the 51st minute Consett were awarded a penalty after Drew Lake was sent tumbling in the box, but Blyth’s sub keeper read Carr’s kick well and saved down at his right-hand post.

blyth town
Drew Lake is sent tumbling and Consett are awarded a penalty. Pic by Gary Welford.

The Steelmen didn’t have to wait long to extend their lead, however, as a minute later Charlie Exley played the ball in to Stephen Callen, who smashed home a great strike from the edge of the box to make it 4-2.

In the 56th minute Exley turned provider again with an excellent cross from the left to pick out a trialist striker, who fired home first time with his left foot.

On 62 minutes it was Callen’s turn to be the provider, when his clever lay-off set up Charlie Exley to fire home from 15 yards to make it 6-2.

blyth town
Charlie Exley made it 6-2 with this left-footed strike. Pic by Gary Welford.

Another water break midway through the half gave some fresh impetus to tiring legs, and the trialist striker and Dan Marriott went close to adding to Consett’s tally, but at the final whistle the score was 6-2.

  • Consett’s next pre-season friendly is on Tuesday, when they visit the 1st Cloud Arena to take on Northern Premier League side South Shields. Kick-off is 7.30pm, and admission is payable at the turnstiles.