A CONSETT side missing a host of regulars picked up a useful three points on the road in the second successive league game where their opponents finished with only nine men.

David Gordon, their new signing from Spennymoor, came straight in for his debut, and there was a first start for Paul Henderson-Reay, picked ahead of Craig Tate. Andrew Cuthbertson and Adam Emson also returned to the starting line-up, in place of David Duke and David Pounder. The subs included untried youngster Matthew Soulsby and veteran David Robson.

Chances were few and far between in a cagey opening period, though goalkeeper Daniel Staples aroused the ire of home supporters when he flattened Andrew Johnson, their new signing from Durham, as they contested Steven Walklate’s ball into the box.

Paul Henderson-Reay also angered the home side with what they thought was a two-footed challenge on Gary Brown on the edge of the Shildon box, but Gary Ormston forced keeper Keith Finch into the first save of the game when he smacked the loose ball towards the top corner.

Midway through the half, Shildon had a flurry of chances, which should have seen them take the lead. First, Staples pulled off a blinding save from Shaun Reay after the former Blyth man was set up by Warren Byrne. Then, from the resulting corner, Staples tipped Walklate’s corner against the bar, and he was quickly down at the feet of Johnson to save his follow-up effort. A minute later, Byrne, top scorer in the Northern League last season, volleyed acrobatically over from 10 yards from a right-wing cross. Then Staples spread himself in front of Karl Everitt just sufficiently to stop him getting on the end of a wicked cross from the left.

A goal looked only a matter of time, but when it came it was at the other end, and in slightly fortunate circumstances. Emson went down in the box under challenge from Brown, and the referee had no hesitation pointing to the spot. Steven Huggins tucked the penalty away confidently to make it 1-0 and open his Consett account.

The lead didn’t last long however, with Shildon equalising immediately. Staples threw the ball out to Gordon, but it held up in the wind, and he was dispossessed by Brown. The midfielder, a recent signing from Durham, tried his luck from 30 yards, and although Staples palmed the ball into the air, he couldn’t get enough on it to stop it crossing the line, despite a desperate attempt to claw it out.

Five minutes later Consett had a good shout for a penalty turned down which looked a lot clearer then the one they were given. Emson, playing against his former club, latched onto a stray backpass and appeared to be clipped as he took the ball around Finch, only for the referee to award a corner.

Play was going from end to end, and Everitt headed straight at Staples from Johnson’s right-wing cross with the goal at his mercy.

Gordon, who made an impressive debut at left wing-back, was sending in some dangerous crosses, but Consett lacked anyone to get on the end of them.

He wasn’t afraid to track back either though, and survived one of two Shildon penalty shouts as half-time neared, when the ball bounced up at him in his own box. Michael Coulthard got the benefit of the doubt on the other, as he appeared to clip Byrne’s heels as they followed the path of the flight of the ball into the box.

Finch’s save from Cuthbertson was the last action of the first half, but the Steelmen were straight on the attack again after the break. Emson found Gordon with a crossfield ball from right to left, and he set up Ormston, who saw the power taken out of his shot by a deflection.

Nine minutes into the second half Consett scored what proved to be the winner after their best move of the game. Henderson-Reay swept the ball out from the right wing to Gordon on the left, and he cut it back for Cuthbertson. He continued the patient build-up by passing to Ormston, who teed it up nicely for Scott to finish from just outside the box.

Scott was in the thick of things again four minutes later when he had to avoid Everitt’s wild challenge, and when the Shildon man aimed a headbutt at his opponent as they squared up, it was inevitable he would see red for the second time this season.

Gordon fired over and Scott saw a shot deflected over the bar as Consett sought to exploit their numerical advantage, but the game was effectively won on 68 minutes when Finch became the second Shildon player to be shown a straight red card. The goalkeeper came out of his box to beat Emson to a long ball, and made a hash of his attempted clearance, heading it straight at the Consett forward. Emson knocked the ball past him, and was set to slot it into the unguarded net when he was pulled back by his shirt. Again, the referee had no option but to send him off, and veteran midfielder Mark Tinkler went in goal.

His first taste of the action was to palm Huggins’ free kick over the bar, and his goal came under siege in the last 20 minutes. Cuthbertson hit a shot straight at him, Emson lashed one wide, Scott struck a 30-yarder wide and Henderson-Reay fired into the side netting as Consett looked for a killer third goal.

Michael Coulthard, who had put in a good shift at the back, was replaced by Paul Collins as Consett saw out the game, and Chris Douglas came on for Henderson-Reay, who put in plenty of graft, but is still looking for his first Northern League goal. All-in-all it was a good win for Consett, and their third successive league victory away from home.

Full time: Shildon 1-2 Consett

GARY WELFORD