STEVEN Johnson's 20th goal of the season gave Consett their fourth successive 1-0 win and kept them eight points clear of their nearest challengers.

It was his first goal in two months, and couldn't have been timed better, as it broke down a stubborn Cestrians side who showed why they are one of the league's form teams.

Kenny Lindoe made two changes to the starting XI which beat South Shields the previous week. Michael Coulthard and Andrew Cuthbertson returned from suspension in place of Jonjo Dickman and hamstring victim Adam Emson.

Like the previous home game against Bedlington, this encounter was ruined by a strong wind, and good football was at a premium.

Consett, with the wind at their back, were straight on the attack, but Piecha's 20-yard shot didn't trouble Chester keeper Jonathan Carmichael.

The opening stages produced very little in the way of constructive football, as both teams struggled to adapt to the conditions, but the visitors had two good chances inside the opening quarter of an hour.

First, Consett had a huge let-off when Mark Gaffney misjudged a long kick from the keeper, which allowed Liam Robertson to get in behind him. The winger cut in and went for goal, but spooned his effort well wide of Jack Norton's left-hand post.

Then the Steelmen had an even bigger warning shot across their bows when Gaffney made amends for his earlier mistake by clearing a goalbound effort off the line.

Daniel Petts beat David Scorer down the right and put in a good cross for Robertson. His shot on the turn took a wicked deflection off a defender and looked like looping over Norton in the Consett goal until Gaffa's intervention.

The chances served as a wake-up call for Consett, and they began to put a few passes together. They had what looked a decent shout for a penalty turned down when Steven Johnson, ploughing a lone furrow up front, took the ball past a defender and it seemed to strike his hand, and Johnson then failed to get hold of his shot from 12 yards.

Wayne Gredziak, whose physical presence had troubled Consett in the 4-2 defeat at Chester-le-Street, had a half-chance when the ball again held up in the wind, but ballooned his shot well over.

Gary Ormston almost put Johnson in on the half-hour, but Carmichael did well to smother at Johnson's feet, and a great tackle at the other end by Craig Robson – making his 100th appearance for the club - denied Gredziak just as he was about to pull the trigger.

Carmichael again did well to acrobatically cut out Andrew Cuthbertson's cross-shot, with Piecha looking to come in on it at the back post, and Piecha and Ormston both had efforts as Consett finished the half strongly.

Half Time: Consett 1-0 Chester

The second half saw Consett pick up where they had left off, and Scorer came close to getting his first goal from the club when he met Chris Scott's left-wing corner with a firm header, which was deflected behind.

Good work down the right by Johnson then saw him pull the ball back for David Pounder arriving on the edge of the box, but he couldn't direct his first-time volley properly at goal.

Consett were enjoying their best spell of the game, and just before the hour they put together the best move of the game.

Pounder started it in his own half, and some good touch play by Johnson, Scott and Cuthbertson put in Piecha, who couldn't quite keep down his lob over the advancing keeper. Pounder then flashed a header wide from Scott's free kick as Consett began to dominate.

Chester weren't finished as an attacking threat though, and on 71 minutes Consett had a double let-off. First Petts' shot hit the post after the home defence failed to deal with a free-kick, and then Norton had to be alert to save with his feet from Robertson from the rebound.

The save was a vital one, and its value was demonstrated two minutes later when Consett went up the other end and scored.

Piecha's quick throw-in on the left sent Ormston to the byline, and he pulled it back for Cuthbertson on the edge of the area. He moved to the right and played in Johnson, who turned smartly to hook the ball beyond Carmichael from eight yards.

After the goal Consett pulled Piecha back to make their back three a four, and were able to see out the game reasonably comfortably, though Norton had to tip over Craig Price's 25-yard free-kick with a couple of minutes remaining.

Full Time: Consett 1-0 Chester

GARY WELFORD