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An under-strength Consett relinquished their hold on the Durham Challenge Cup, going down at home to local rivals Tow Law Town. It was a second home Cup defeat on successive Wednesdays for Consett, for whom the phrase “concentrating on the league” can now safely be applied.
The Steelmen were without several key players for this tie, with Craig Turns, Carl Piecha, David Johnson, Jonjo Dickman and Craig Robson were all absent. The back three of Rob Story, Michael Coulthard and Mark Gaffney mustered just 28 appearances for the Steelmen between them.
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Mattie Moffat put Consett in front
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Consett started well enough and after ex-Lawyer Coulthard had fired over the bar from a corner, they took the lead through Mattie Moffat in the 12th minute. A neat Consett move ended with Steven Brown sliding a ball between two defenders for Moffat to run onto and beat the keeper at his near post.
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Mark Patterson brings a ball under control
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The lead was short-lived however as The Lawyers hit back with an equalizer seven minutes later. Phil McGuire sent a deep right wing cross into the area and Consett old boy Mark Eccles had acres of space in which to plant a firm header low to James Platten’s right.
Moffat and Pounder both went close for Consett as half time approached but it was Tow Law who took a 2-1 lead into the break. Gaffney played a high and wild back pass to Platten who was beaten to the ball by Eccles, injuring himself in the process. Eccles played on however and after seeing his first attempt blocked by John Ewart he was able to roll the rebound into the unguarded net.
Half Time: Consett 1-2 Tow Law |
Consett came out for the second half with all guns blazing and levelled within four minutes of the restart. Brown played a brilliant reverse ball inside the full back and Moffat swept a first time shot past Marc Riches to bag his 23rd goal of the season.
It seemed as though the Steelmen would go on to win the game from this point and Craig Robson’s delicate chip from the edge of the area was tipped over the bar from Riches. However it was Tow Law who struck next with a goal out of nothing. Riches hoisted a long ball upfield and Kraig Wilkinson, another former Steelman, outpaced Story to the ball and slid it past Platten to make it 3-2.
Tow Law sealed the tie eleven minutes from time with a goal of pure farce. Platten got down well to save a shot from Innes, however as he tried to restart the game quickly by throwing the ball out, he succeeded only in hitting John Clark on the back. and it bounced kindly for Wilkinson who unleashed an unstoppable volley into the roof of the net. |
Michael Coulthard fires in a shot
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It could have been worse for Consett when McGuire’s 83rd minute free kick from near the corner flag sailed over everyone and came back off the bar. Consett substitute Clark was denied in stoppage time by a point blank block from Riches, but The Lawyers place in the quarter-finals was never really in doubt.
Full Time: Consett 2-4 Tow Law
JPH
