CONSETT made it 19 goals in their last four games with this comfortable win at Seaham Town Park, despite being without top scorer Mattie Moffat. But just as pleasing for manager Kenny Lindoe was the clean sheet from a much-improved defensive performance.

The Steelmen made two changes from the side which started against Bedlington four days earlier, Adam Emson starting up front in place of Moffat, and John Ewart coming in for Karl Baston at the back.

Seaham almost went under in the summer after losing their major sponsors and the majority of their players, and it was a young line-up which faced opponents who started the game in fourth place.

It took Consett just four minutes to open the scoring. When Seaham failed to clear their lines properly from an attack, skipper Jonjo Dickman latched on to the loose ball on the edge of the box and rifled home into the bottom corner.

On 10 minutes Gary Ormston and Jonjo Dickman combined well down the right, and the captain's pull-back from the byline fell invitingly to Steven Johnson, whose scuffed shot failed to trouble Paul McSween in the home goal.

Consett were forced into an early substitution when Emson was forced off after 12 minutes, still feeling the effects of the back injury which saw him subbed at Bedlington after coming on for the struggling Moffat. Carl Heiniger slotted in up front alongside Johnson.

Midway through the first half Consett came close to scoring a second, but were thwarted by a magnificent double save from the Seaham keeper. Ormston cut inside from the right and squared to David Pounder, whose 20-yarder was saved, despite a slight deflection which threatened to take it away from the keeper. Then McSween blocked Pounder's follow-up, turning the ball behind for a corner with a fine reaction save.

Seaham didn't have their first shot until the half-hour mark, but Stephen Winspear's effort didn't trouble James Platten. But Robert Clarkson was closer five minutes later when he shot just over from 25 yards as the home side enjoyed their first real spell of pressure.

A minute before the break it was 2-0 to Consett, though Pounder's goal had a stroke of good fortune about it. Picking up the ball from Andy Cuthbertson 25 yards out he steadied himself and hit a left-footed pile-driver, which the keeper could only help into the top corner, but perhaps should have saved.

Full time: Seaham 0-2 Consett

Consett started the second-half looking the more likely to add to the scoring, and Johnson had already gone close when he made it 3-0 on 55 minutes.

Dickman played a delicious ball in from the right, and Johnson danced round his marker before slotting it past McSween into the bottom corner.

Two minutes Johnson made it 4-0 with his second goal of the game and 12th in 13 this season. Recent signing Chris Scott hit a tremendous effort from 35 yards which hit the right-hand post, rebounded along the line onto the opposite upright, then sat up invitingly for Johnson to tap home.

On the hour Consett had what looked to be a decent penalty shout turned down, as Heiniger's flick around his marker appeared to hit the defender's hand, but the referee was having none of it.

Johnson was hungry for his hat-trick now, and forced a save from McSween with a snapshot from 20 yards which the keeper fumbled and gathered at the second attempt.

And Dickman, getting forward more with Cuthbertson and Scott beside him in centre-midfield, will have been disappointed not to hit the target when he broke through the middle.

The last 20 minutes was a bit scrappy, as Consett created chances almost at will, and both sides made full use of their substitutes. Craig Robson came on for Cuthbertson, and Michael Coulthard for David Scorer as both continued their return from injury.

Consett also picked up three bookings in the closing stages; Heiniger for taking a tumble in the box, Dickman for committing one foul too many for the referee, and Scott for a foul just seconds after a Seaham player went unpunished for going straight through his skipper from behind.

There were chances to increase the scoreline in the dying minutes: McSween saved well from Ormston after Heiniger put him in; an effort from the former Dunston Fed man had the keeper scrambling, and Dickman's 25-yard free-kick was palmed away, but it ended 4-0 – a result which put Consett second.

Full time: Seaham 0-4 Consett

Gary Welford