CONSETT'S erratic form since the turn of the year continued, and their sixth stalemate in the last eight games means they are fast becoming the league's draw specialists.

More worryingly, the goals which were flowing so freely in the autumn appear to have dried up for now, with the previously prolific Moffat-Johnson pairing departed and injured respectively.

Kenny Lindoe picked the same starting XI which had won 3-0 at West Auckland three days earlier, with Steven Johnson's broken hand and David Johnson's ankle ligament problem resulting in their continued absence from the 16.

Morpeth, managed by former Consett player and caretaker manager Jon King, were playing only their fifth home league game of the season, and included former Steelman David Anderson among their substitutes.

Consett started brightly, and had a chance after just 15 seconds, when Richard Logan forced a full-length save from Morpeth goalkeeper Jak Wells from the edge of the box.

The early chance stung the home side into action, and centre-forward Alex Benjamin, who scored a hat-trick on Saturday but finished a loser as Town lost 4-3 to Bedlington, put the ball inches wide when given a free header due to some slack Consett marking on five minutes.

Paul Wilary's shot from 25 yards skidded wide as Morpeth enjoyed a good spell of pressure, and Sean Sweeney's effort failed to trouble Consett keeper Jack Norton after he had got past Michael Coulthard.

It was against the run of play that Consett took the lead on 16 minutes. They were awarded a free-kick out wide on the right, and when Jonjo Dickman played it deep to the back post, Carl Piecha outjumped his marker to send a looping header over the keeper for his fifth goal of the season.

Half-chances for Morpeth's Paul Haxon and Consett's Chris Scott failed to trouble either keeper, before the home side squandered a glorious chance to equalise on 24 minutes. Wilary set Steven Warwick away in space on the right, and when the winger cut inside he flashed his shot wide when he perhaps should have done better.

Consett failed to take heed, however, and a minute later the home side were level. Piecha gave away a needless free-kick wide on the left, and Ian Herron picked out centre-half Iain Nickalls, who headed beyond Norton.

With Benjamin's pace and physical presence leading to some uncomfortable moments for the visitors, Morpeth almost got their noses in front a couple of minutes later as Wilary sent a shot just wide, but they lost some of their momentum when the playmaker was substituted on 33 minutes.

Excellent work by Adam Emson down the left produced the chance of the half for Consett, when his cross dropped invitingly at the feet of recent signing Paul Robinson, and the centre-forward poked a shot towards the bottom corner. Wells made a fingertip save, however, Logan's follow-up effort was blocked, and David Pounder fired the partially-cleared ball over the bar. Logan then had a solo effort after latching onto Piecha's ball into the left-hand channel, but couldn't keep his shot down.

Half-time: Morpeth Town 1-1 Consett

The early exchanges of the second half produced few clear goalscoring opportunities, with Benjamin firing over for Morpeth, and Pounder and Gary Ormston having half-chances for Consett, and Robinson was booked as the game began to get a little ill-tempered on a pitch which was beginning to cut up.

The striker, who was finding chances few and far between, was replaced by Andrew Cuthbertson on the hour, with Emson moving up front alongside Logan, and the former Chester-le-Street man slotting into the five-man midfield.

Halfway through the half Logan reacted furiously after apparently being floored by an off-the-ball elbow from Morpeth centre-half Darryl Hall, but neither the referee nor linesman saw the incident, and it went unpunished.

At this stage it looked like 'next goal wins', and Consett had a let-off on 73 minutes when Warwick's shot came back off the bar with Norton beaten, and fell to the unmarked Paul Haxon. But the midfielder could only direct his header straight into the arms of the grateful keeper.

Karl Baston came on for Dickman with 15 minutes left, and slotted into the wide right position, with Scott moving into the middle. As the game entered its closing stages Scott tried his luck from 25 yards, and Logan saw a shot come back off the bar after being put in by Ormston.

Scott then almost won it at the death for Consett with a tremendous free-kick from 30 yards which was heading for the top corner until Wells pawed the ball onto the top of the bar and out for a corner.

In the end Consett had to settle for a point, which was probably a fair result, and although it was enough to keep them top of the table, Whitley Bay's 3-0 win at Seaham cut their lead to one point. However, Spennymoor, Dunston Fed, Nissan and even Tow Law have enough games in hand to make the Steelmen's grip on the top spot a slender one.

Full-time: Morpeth Town 1-1 Consett

Gary Welford