Macca receiving close attention

A cold and windy night by the sea and precious little in this performance to warm the heart. Consett went into this game with a strange and probably unique record in that their four wins this season have come in four different competitions. Well not for one minute was that record in danger of being altered as the Steelmen were comprehensively outclassed by a Whitley Bay side whose performance belied their bottom half league position. Tony Halliday returned to the Consett midfield this evening in place of the late arriving Ian Davison; the only change from the side were unlucky at Guisborough on Saturday.

Whitley won the toss and played the first half with the strong wind at their backs and they tore into their visitors right from the off. The first goal duly arrived in the 9th minute when Cook broke down the right flank. His pull back eventually fell at the feet of Mark Taylor on the penalty spot and he slammed the ball past Colling. Bay continued to press and Lee Ludlow had two chances in a minute to increase the lead, but they didn't have long to wait for the second. On 14 minutes, a high ball was pumped into the Consett area which Andy Colling misjudged, opting to stay on his line when he maybe could have collected it. This merely allowed time for Lee O'Donovan to let the ball bounce before drilling home number two from 10 yards.

The first half continued in the same vein with wave after wave of Whitley attacks bearing down on the Consett goal. The pace of the highly impressive O'Donovan was wreaking havoc in the Consett rearguard and, but for some profligate finishing, the score could have been highly embarrassing. Two minutes after Bay's second goal Ludlow found himself one on one with Colling who saved well at his feet. On 26 minutes Ludlow again caused problems with a clever turn and shot from 25 yards which whistled over. On 32 minutes Little put over a right wing cross which found Ludlow again who headed over.

Consett had a spell of pressure in the latter stages of the half. With half an hour gone Neil Lowdon sent a ball over from the left which Colin McLeod swept goalwards, only for Burke to save well. Then in the 38th minute Little, under pressure from Lowdon played a backpass short which Chris Hodgson intercepted but he found the side netting from a tight angle after rounding the keeper.

Just as Consett thought they'd reached half time keeping the score down to 2-0, Bay added a third in stoppage time. Ludlow broke down the left wing, looking suspiciously offside, and his cross was diverted by Darren Grimes into his own net, in a desperate attempt to prevent an easy tap in for O'Donovan.

Half Time: Whitley 3-0 Consett

If Consett thought that the advantage of the wind would bring about a change of fortune they were soon to be proved wrong as Bay started the second half just as they had the first, with two goals in the first 15 minutes. The half was only three minutes old before O'Donovan forced another good save from Andy Colling. Four minutes later though it was 4-0, as Lee Ludlow, who missed a hatful of chances in the first period, converted the hardest of the lot. A cross was swung in from the left by Walmsley and Ludlow met it sweetly on the half volley to send a screamer into the top corner. Without a doubt the goal of the night.

Lee Ludlow (right) hammers home Bay's 4th.

On the hour mark Darren Grimes saw a raking drive go narrowly over, but just seconds later Ludlow got his second and Bay's fifth. A pin point through ball found him unmarked 12 yards out and he dispatched it with aplomb.

Lee Suddes is crowded out in the area.

With the scoring finished for the night the last half hour was a far more even affair, whether this was due to Bay taking their foot off the gas or Consett trying to save face it was hard to say. Certainly the introduction of Andrew Thompson 19 minutes from time led to the Steelmen creating as many chances in the last quarter of an hour as they had in the previous 75 minutes. The best of these came on 81 minutes when a low drive was tipped round the post for a corner by Burke.

At the other end though Whitley were always a threat and only Andy Colling's goalkeeping heroics prevented any additions to the scoresheet. Most notably, saves from a Kevin Walton bullet header and a rasping drive from Ludlow (who on another night could have scored 6 or 7 alone) were outstanding.

In the end though 5-0 it finished, which, if anything, flattered Consett. Quite what the FA Vase holders were doing in 15th place before this game is a mystery as they were very impressive. As for the Steelemen, it's hard to see that this season holds anything but relegation on this evidence.

Full Time: Whitley 5-0 Consett