THE Steelmen had to show their mettle to record a second 1-0 away win in five days against a feisty Shields side. There was one change to the side which had won at Dunston, Steven Huggins the new signing from Unibond side Whitby, coming in for his debut in place of the unavailable Chris Scott. He was one of four players missing, which left Consett only able to name four substitutes.

The opening exchanges were extremely scrappy, and it was 20 minutes before either side managed a serious attempt on goal. When it came it was Consett who showed first, with Gary Ormston unable to keep down his 12-yard header from Andrew Cuthbertson's left-wing cross.

Then Craig Tate, playing against one of his many old clubs, almost played in Steven Johnson, but the ball was a touch too far in front of him, and goalkeeper Chris Anderson raced out to clear.

David Pounder fires home the only goal of the game

Gary Ormston's boots are high

For once the warning was heeded, and two minutes later Consett were ahead. Pounder picked up a loose ball in midfield and surged forward, and finished left-footed into the bottom right corner from just outside the box.

Shields centre-forward Stephen Ramsey earned a talking-to from the referee for leaving his foot in on Carl Piecha, but didn't learn his lesson, and 12 minutes later became the first player to be booked for a foul on Ormston.

In-between, Piecha headed over from Pounder's right-wing corner, Tate tried his luck cutting in from the left, and Shields suffered a blow when their influential skipper Scroggins, who had just returned from injury, limped off, to be replaced by Michael Rodenby.

The home side came out with more fire in their tails, and should have equalised when Ramsey headed over from Craig Ellison's right-wing corner. Then Consett captain Piecha and goalkeeper Daniel Staples almost gifted Shields a chance with a mix-up from a free-kick, but the danger was cleared.

Tate again failed to trouble the keeper with an effort identical to his one in the first half, and Steven Johnson was unlucky not to make it 2-0 when he beat a defender to Duke's through ball, but didn't quite manage to lift it past the onrushing keeper.

On 73 minutes an incident occurred right in front of the dugouts which was to shape the rest of the game. Shields reacted angrily to a challenge by David Johnson, but it was his captain Piecha and Mariners centre-forward Ramsey who earned a lengthy lecture from the referee.

From the restart, Ramsey left his foot in on David Johnson as the Consett defender headed clear. It was a stupid offence, particularly when he had already been warned and booked for the same thing in the first half, and had just been spoken to by the referee. More pertinently, it reduced his side to 10 men, just when it appeared they might get something out of the game.

The keeper comes out to deny Johnson and Tate

Steve Huggins charges forward

The incident involving David Johnson clearly still rankled with the home side, and Ellison was booked for leading with his elbow on the No 3 as they contested an aerial challenge.Team-mate David Graham then joined him in the book for dissent as Shields tempers started to fray.

Tate, who missed another couple of chances, was withdrawn, with Kevin Davison entering the action, and the winger was quickly into the action, winning a free-kick on the left edge of the area. Huggins' effort from the setpiece was heading in until it was cleared off the line by his opposite number Craig Armstrong.

Shields old boy David Scorer, who had an excellent game in Consett's three-man back-line, survived loud penalty appeals as the home side grew more desperate, but his tackle on Stephenson was a clean one.

As full-time approached, Shields were reduced to nine men, and again David Johnson was involved. He and Ellison went to ground in a tackle, and when the home player took exception to the challenge and kicked out, he was shown a second yellow and then a red card.