As with last week's game, Consett couldn't have asked for a better start. Having survived an early scare, when Dunston's Darren Sankey intercepted a short back pass only for Stuart Kelly to recover well and save, Consett took the lead in the sixth minute. Scott Wilson's shot from outside the area was blocked, but the ball ricocheted into the path of Chris Hodgson at the edge of the box who fired in a low shot to the keeper's right.

Inevitably the Fed started to come back into the game and mid-way through the first half Kelly was called upon again to save a deflected shot from the impressive Sankey.

McLeod is denied by a saving tackle.

Consett had survived the first half hour of the game fairly comfortably at the back, however they ultimately succumbed to self-inflicted damage. Johnny Brown and Ian Davison went for the same header on the right flank and collided leaving Paul Hogg in the clear. He squared the ball to the ubiquitous Sankey who knocked home the equaliser.

Eight minutes later it looked like things were going to get worse for the Steelmen, when Gary Forbes for the visitors latched onto a through ball from Paul Brown only for Kelly to flatten him in the area. Stuart was booked for the foul, but wasn't troubled by the resulting spot kick which Hogg put wide off the outside of the keeper's right hand post.

In last week's report of the Blue Star defeat it was pointed out that Consett had conceded a goal within a few minutes of the restart in every home game they'd played this seaon. Well, they kept up their undesirable 100% record on that front by going 2-1 down 45 seconds into the second half. A shot cum cross from the right drifted into the Consett area, struck the post, and Forbes was on hand to convert the rebound.

That proved to be the killer blow for this game, as the second half was largely one-way traffic towards the Consett goal. In the 62nd minute Lee Adamson broke free for Dunston leaving himself one on one with Kelly, however the Consett custodian saved brilliantly. Six minutes later, in Consett's best spell of the half Colin McLeod climbed well to head a Lee Suddes free kick narrowly over.

Soon though the visitors doubled their lead. Ben Cattanach sped down the left, and as covering defenders came across to meet him, substitute Stephen Hamill was left in the clear and he brilliantly lobbed the ball over Kelly from the edge of the area.

Agile control from Chris Hodgson.

As the game entered the last ten minutes it became a question of how many Fed would score. Hamill broke down the right and his cross was headed wide by March. Then good work by Forbes down the left found Hogg in front of goal yards out, but he was denied by an excellent last ditch tackle by substitute Andrew Thompson.

Macca's header goes narrowly over.

The fourth eventually came two minutes from time when Hamill hammered in a low shot from the edge of the box, with Consett by this time looking a very dispirited side.

This defeat left Consett four points adrift at the bottom of Northern League Division One and it has to be said that things do not look good. Despite a couple of morale boosting Cup wins against Pontefract and Washington Nissan, the Steelmen's league form is a cause for concern. It has to be said that last season Consett managed to pick up wins against some of the better sides in the division, Bedlington, Durham and Whitley Bay spring to mind. Indeed, this season's solitary point was achieved in probably their hardest game to date - Tow Law away. Either way a win is desperately needed and we don't really care where it comes from.

Full Time: Consett 1-4 Dunston

JPH