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Consett were knocked out of the FA Vase in the cruellest fashion imaginable losing their 5th Round tie away to Merstham 4-5 after extra time. The Steelmen went down to Surrey to face a side that hadn’t lost a game of any description since mid-August, and can consider themselves extremely unlucky to not even earn a replay in a game they led by two goals twice. Instead they found themselves victims of disgraceful, one-sided officiating.
Manager Ken Lindoe made just one change from the side that defeated Poole in the 4th replay two weeks earlier, with club captain David Johnson returning to the defence after a lengthy injury, Rob Story being the player replaced.
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Steven Brown opens the scoring for Consett
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On an unseasonably warm day, the Steelmen began extremely well dominating the opening exchanges and passing their hosts off the park. They deservedly took the lead in the 18th minute when Steven Brown found himself in the area with just the keeper to beat. Chatsfield saved well, and Jonjo Dickman’s follow up attempt was blocked, however Brown was on hand to drill home the third attempt off the far post.
Dickman and Brown linked up well again on 34 minutes to create a chance for the former, but on that occasion Chatsfield came out well to make a brave save at the feet of the former Darlington midfielder.
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Gary Ormston gives chase
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Merstham gradually came back into the game though, and almost grabbed an equaliser four minutes before the interval. Substitute Mark Gaffney, an early replacement for the injured Michael Coulthard for the second game running, saw a headed clearance go straight to Chris Read and his dipping volley grazed the top of the bar and went over.
Half time: Merstham 0-1 Consett
The framework of the Consett goal came to the rescue again three minutes after the break when Agyei flicked on Simmonds corner to Chris Boulter who slammed the ball against the bar from close range.
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The game was still incredibly tight though with chances few and far between, but it was Consett took a two goal lead on 63 minutes. Brown made a break into the area in the inside right channel and rolled the ball across the edge of the six yard box to Steven Johnson, who made no mistake.
It might have been three soon afterwards when David Pounder headed Gary Ormston’s cross goalwards, but the keeper saved at the foot of his post.
Merstham struck back to halve the deficit seven minutes later but there was a huge amount of controversy about it. Consett keeper Craig Turns kicked the ball out of play so Pounder could receive treatment, which, as it turned out, he didn’t need. Nevertheless the home side took it upon themselves to keep the ball from the throw in and after Nick Greenhouse had seen a header saved, Mark Simmonds drilled home the rebound.
Consett seemed to be seeing the remainder of the game out comfortably with a couple of half chances falling to Steven Johnson and Pounder. They should have put the game beyond doubt two minutes into injury time when Johnson caught Merstham on the counter-attack but he shot straight at Chatsfield when he maybe should have done better.
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Jonjo Dickman takes on the defence
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With the clock running round to 95 minutes, the game exploded. Greenhouse tumbled theatrically in the Consett box but was denied the penalty he clearly looking for. As play switched to the other end where Consett were attacking there was an altercation off the ball between Carl Piecha and Greenhouse. Greenhouse had raked his studs down the back of Piecha’s leg, and Carl then lashed out in response. On the advice of the linesman, who only saw the second offence, the referee stopped the game to brandish a red card at Piecha, and award the home side a penalty which Craig Vernon converted. Greenhouse in the meantime incredibly walked away scot free.
Johnson has a late chance to put Consett 3-1 up saved
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The final whistle blew almost immediately afterwards and an incandescent Consett bench remonstrated with the officials. In isolation the handling of this incident was bad enough, but over the piece the card count was five yellow and one red to Consett, whilst Merstham somehow escaped being shown any cards of any colour. Both teams were giving as good as they got, and for all of the disciplinary action to be taken against one team was just perverse and tells its own story.
Full time: Merstham 2-2 Consett
Despite the massive blow in the final minute of normal time, the heroic Steelmen somehow lifted themselves to go 4-2 up. Immediately from the restart Chatsfield made a hash of a clearance, kicking the ball against his own defender and Mattie Moffat capitalised to make it 3-2 after just 18 seconds of extra time. The action was coming thick and fast with Turns saving from a Simmonds free kick and then at the other end Chatsfield saving again from Steven Johnson.
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Ten-man Consett were well on top at this stage and on 96 minutes Moffat was denied by the woodwork when he collected a pass from John Clark, turned, and calmly placed a shot beyond the keeper but squarely against upright.
This misfortune was soon forgotten though as Consett unbelievably went 4-2 up in the 103rd minute. Moffat was scythed down on the edge of the area, a foul every bit as bad as any seen in the game, but of course no card was shown. David Pounder stepped up to the plate though and curled a majestic free kick into the top corner.
The Steelmen’s two goal advantage was short lived, as Merstham made it 3-4 on the stroke of half time in extra time. Turns punched a right wing cross clear which fell to Read who managed to find the net under pressure.
Consett were a spent force in the second half of extra time, and it merely became a question of whether they could hang under mounting pressure from their hosts who were starting to make the extra man tell. On 108 minutes Merstham levelled the tie for a second time when Agyei’s cross found Greenhouse. He swept the ball towards goal and although Turns got hands to the shot, he could only parry it onto the post and it crept agonizingly over the line.
With a near-hysterical home crowd behind them, Merstham stormed forward and finally broke Consett hearts four minutes from time. Simmonds sent a free kick into the box, substitute Matt Francis saw a header blocked, but the ball fell to Merstham’s skipper Craig Vernon who scooped home the rebound to complete the victory. |
Ormston and Dickman snuff out an attack
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Even then there was still time in the final minute for Consett to have earned a replay, as Dickman’s left wing corner was flicked on to Moffat at the back post, but he volleyed the ball over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
A devastating defeat for a gallant Consett side then, in circumstances as controversial as any in the club’s 109 year history. For Consett though the season is far from over with the League title still in their own hands, although their mountainous fixture backlog could yet prove to be an insurmountable hurdle.
Extra time: Merstham 5-4 Consett
JPH
