A stunning victory for Consett against relegation rivals Prudhoe, which was a genuine triumph in the face of adversity. Having lost four consecutive games going into this match it was imperative that the home side didn't lose. Defeat would have seen Consett 10 points adrift of safety. The Steelmen however were forced into fielding a very inexperienced side for such an important game. The players unavailable for Consett this evening - Kelly, McKenna, Brown, Gray, Sugden, Butler, Batey, Wilson, Halliday, Hodgson and Lee - would have made a pretty good starting eleven. As a consequence three players - David Hogg, Kris Soulsby and Andrew Green - came into the side boasting precisely one substitute appearance between them.

Andrew Green, right of picture, opens the scoring.

As could be expected the game got off to a cagey and nervous start, in an unseasonal and thankfully brief flurry of snow! Prudhoe carved out the first chance of the game in the ninth minute when McDonald met a right wing cross with a diving header that flashed just wide. Consett struck back four minutes later as Colin McLeod turned an effort from a Lee Suddes corner goalwards, but straight at Clark in the Prudhoe goal who gathered easily.

Green tries to lose his marker

Midway through the first half Consett's selection headaches were compounded as Andrew Thompson was forced to leave the field injured. This brought yet another debutant, Greg Scott, into the fray. With Richie Lognonne and Steve Smith having also started this meant more than half of the eleven on the pitch were players new to the team this season.

The quality of the football in the first half deteriorated as neither side was able to trouble the keeper until in a late burst of action just before half time when Consett twice threatened to take the lead. In the 43rd minute Lognonne tried a speculative curling effort from outside the area which was too close to the keeper. Then a minute later a Consett attack down the left flank ended with the ball reaching McLeod four yards out, but his control let him down and the keeper blocked the chance.

If the first half was even but scrappy then the second was far beter from a Consett point of view. The younger players grew in stature and confidence as the game wore on. Consett were having much more of the play and it was no surprise when they opened the scoing just before the hour mark. Neil Lowdon took a throw in on the left wing which Lee Suddes took into the area before rolling the ball square to Andrew Green. The youngster, making his first start, drilled his shot home from 12 yards.

Three minutes later McLeod almost made it two when a cross from David Hogg found its way through to him, however falling back on the shot he lifted the ball well over.

Darren Grimes on the run

Four minutes later though Consett did double their lead, and it was man of the moment Andrew Green who scored. A ball was played behind the Prudhoe defence from the right and Green capitalised on hesitancy between defender and keeper to lift a clever clipped half volley over Clark's head and into the net.

McLeod and Lognonne closely marked at a corner

Six minutes later, somewhat incredibly, Consett went 3-0 up. Neil Lowdon swung a free kick over to the left flank from the centre circle which found Colin McLeod in acres of space. Macca took the ball forward before sending over a cross-cum-shot which sailed over Clark and just crept inside the far post.

On 74 minutes the home side almost added a fourth. Clark attempted to clear under pressure from Green but succeeded only in hitting his own defender. As the ball rebounded back into the area the Prudhoe custodian was able to recover and pounce on the ball, denying Green his hat-trick.

Ten minutes from time the visitors forced a rare save out of Platten, but Lowther's 25 yard free kick which went straight down James's throat was about as routine a save as they come. Within two minutes Consett caused more problems for Prudhoe when Lowdon sprinted down the right and crossed. The Prudhoe defence only half cleared and McLeod attempted an overhead kick which didn't quite have the legs to cross the line and orange shirts were on hand to clear.

Prudhoe upped their efforts to get back into the game and, two minutes from time, some clever play by Fairhurst on the right edge of the Consett area created space for a cross, which found McDonald, but his snapshot was well saved by Platten. Just as the 90 minutes were up though Prudhoe scored a consolation goal when Fairhurst's free kick from just inside the Consett half was swung into the area, and Bowes got up in front of Platten to head home. It was a harsh goal to concede as Consett's young back four, marshalled by the superb Steve Smith, had done enough to deserve a clean sheet.

So a priceless three points gained in the most unlikely of circumstances and the gap reduced to just four points. Some of those eleven missing first teamers may now be wondering whether they are going to get their shirts back!