CHANCES were always going to be at a premium in a tie between two sides who had only scored seven goals between them in eight league games, and so it proved, with neither able to break the stalemate.

Kenny Lindoe made two changes to the side which had won 1-0 at South Shields three days earlier, Chris Scott and Adam Emson coming in for the unfit Andrew Cuthbertson and Steven Johnson.

Consett, playing their usual 3-5-2 formation, began the game with a strong wind at their backs, and enjoyed the lion's share of chances in what was to prove a proverbial game of two halves.

Their first real chance came after 10 minutes, when David Scorer and Scott combined to send Craig Tate away down the right. He let fly early, and hit the ball well, but his half-volley dipped wide of the left-hand post.

Seven minutes later Tate had an even better opportunity. Scott won a header on the right, and his flick-on was playing delightfully by Gary Ormston into the No 9's path. He lined up his shot and rolled it past RA keeper James Mann, but unfortunately it went just the wrong side of the post. He also hit a 25-yarder straight at Mann, and actually had the ball in the net on 29 minutes, but his effort was ruled out, as the linesman had already flagged for offside. Mann was off his line quickly to beat Tate to Ormston's through ball, and then the midfielder, who was having a fine game, crossed from the left for Scott, who couldn't keep his header down.

Picture DENISE HAWORTH

Consett's domination was such that Harrogate had their subs warming up after just 20 minutes as a wake-up call to the starting XI, and it took them half an hour to earn their first corner.

It was only in the minutes before half-time that they registered their first attempts on goal. Their first shot came on 36 minutes, when Consett keeper Daniel Staples came for a corner and fumbled it, but redeemed himself by saving at the feet of Dan Verity.

Left-back Luke Richardson then blazed high and wide as Ormston only managed to half-clear Steve Robinson's long throw, which was a taste of things to come in the second half.

The second 45, with the gusty wind at their backs, saw the visitors take the game to the Steelmen, and it was Consett's turn to defend.

Picture DENISE HAWORTH

Striker Nathan James, a half-time sub, had the best two chances of the game, but found Consett's teenage keeper equal to them both. First, just three minutes after coming on, he backed into a defender and hit a shot on the turn, which Danny got a good hand to to turn round for a corner. Then, 20 minutes into the half, James squandered the game's best chance. After finding himself in the clear in Consett's box he inexplicably checked onto his right foot and shot straight at the keeper, when a left-footed finish would surely have broken the deadlock. The Steelmen defended well against Robinson's barrage of long throws, with David Johnson outstanding, but they were relieved to see a well-struck 20-yard free-kick from the Rail's top man Matt Dempsey whistle over the bar. A speculative long-ranger from Richardson kept Staples on his toes, and the youngster, whose confidence is growing with every game, dealt comfortably with a free-kick from sub Steve Ball.

All Consett had to show for their second-half efforts were a couple of scrappy chances for Tate, one which flew wide from a half-cleared corner, and a 25-yarder which was deflected for a corner.

They suffered a scare when skipper Carl Piecha had to go off with a gashed calf after being accidentally raked down the back of his leg by a forward's boot, but Michael Coulthard, in his first run-out of the season, helped preserve the clean sheet.

Full time: Consett 0-0 Harrogate

GARY WELFORD