A big blow for Consett's title hopes this afternoon as they lost 2-3 to Ryton at a blustery Crawcrook. The windy conditions spoiled the game somewhat as a spectacle; however it was still a full-blooded encounter with plenty of commitment from both sides.

Ken Lindoe made just one change from the side that beat Northallerton at home in midweek. With Chris Scott available again after missing out on Wednesday’s game through work commitments, he came back into the side with Richard Logan stepping down to the bench after picking up a knock in his previous outing.

The game was blighted by a strong wind throughout, and in the first half it was the home team that had the advantage of it. The early stages were consequently very scrappy, with both sides having free kicks in dangerous positions coming to nothing. Consett’s Scott sent his effort over the bar whilst Ryton’s Craig Marron saw a quickly taken one saved by Jack Norton in the Consett goal.

Andrew Cuthbertson wins a header

Adam Emson finds the net, but it's disallowed

Ryton took the lead five minutes later, and unsurprisingly the wind was to play a part in the goal. Marron sent a free kick into the Consett area which Norton misjudged as it sailed on the wind allowing McBride to send a glancing header home from the back post.

The Steelmen almost struck back quickly when on 28 minutes. Scott won the ball and played in Emson who rounded the keeper but was forced wide in the process and, with the angle too tight, he shot across goal.

A minute later Consett had a better chance to level things when Gary Ormston’s cross from the right wing found Paul Robinson but he scuffed his shot and the keeper was able to make a low save easily

On 57 minutes Robinson chipped a cross into the area and a clever reverse flick from Carl Piecha, himself formerly a Ryton player, hit the post with the keeper stranded. Ryton scrambled the ball away, but it was played back into the danger area and Ormston teed up David Pounder who saw his first attempt blocked, and then sent a follow up inches over.

Five minutes later Scott drove in a vicious wind-assisted free kick from just inside the Ryton half which keeper Hands could only parry and then catch at the second attempt.

It looked like only a matter of time before the Steelmen equalised, however they were rocked back in the 63rd minute when Ryton scored a second totally against the run of play. Ryton left back Patterson took a free kick quickly to catch the Consett defence cold, which left Daniel Smart clean through. Norton appeared to have blocked his effort, but the shot still had enough pace on it to go in.

Paul Robinson beats his man

Gary Ormston starts an attack

Within a minute though Consett did find the net to halve the deficit. After Piecha was hacked down on the edge of area, Pounder stepped up to send a trademark free kick whistling past keeper Hands and into the corner of the net.

With time running out Consett looked to have salvaged a point when they grabbed an 86th minute equaliser. Subsitute Logan saw an attempt cleared but only as far as Cuthbertson who dispatched a superb dipping volley from 25 yards out which would have beaten any keeper.

Once again though, just as it seemed as though the Steelmen were in total control they were hit by another bolt from the blue two minutes from time. Steven Shaw sent a deep speculative cross into the area which sailed over Norton’s head and into the far corner of the net to make it 3-2.

It could have been worse for Consett when, in the fourth of seven added minutes, Smart released Bell who attempted to chip the advancing keeper, but the ball went safely over.