CONSETT won their final game of the season to guarantee the runners-up spot behind champions Spennymoor Town, but did it the hard way, coming from behind after an awful first-half display.

Caretaker manager Dave Hagan made three changes to the side which had beaten Newcastle Benfield three days earlier, but surprisingly there was no starting place for Gavin Barton, whose second-half hat-trick had inspired them to the 4-0 victory. Graham Irving and Carl Piecha returned in defence in place of Richard Forster and Anthony Lund, and Richard Slaughter came into midfield for Dale Burrell. Ashington were captained by their former Consett midfielder Chris Scott.

Consett started slowly, as they had in the last few games, and were indebted to some poor finishing from the visitors and fine goalkeeping from teenager Peter Jameson for keeping them in it in the first half. The Colliers' first chance came on three minutes, when the lively Andrew Johnson shot wide when well-placed, and he had another 15 minutes later, when the home defence was caught out by a right-to-left diagonal ball, and he found himself with only the keeper to beat. Luckily for Consett, Jameson was more alert than his defenders, and saved well with his feet.

On 35 minutes Consett had Jameson to thank again when he was left one-on-one with Steven Young, and he again stood up well to deny Ashington's top scorer.

A Craggs volley which went well over the bar from a half-cleared corner was all Consett had to show for their lacklustre efforts, and it was no real surprise when they fell behind on the stroke of half-time. Craggs appeared to be fouled as he contested a high ball in midfield, but while his team-mates waited for the whistle, Ashington's didn't hesitate, with Scott Blandford sweeping Gareth Bainbridge's pass past the exposed Jameson.

Half time: Consett 0-1 Ashington

Consett made a change at half-time, but not the expected introduction of Barton; instead, midfielder Mark Patterson came on for Ryan Bell. They did come out with more purpose to their play, however, and Walton at last forced a save out of visiting keeper Karl Dryden, who beat away his well-struck shot on the turn.

Ashington gave notice that they weren't going to roll over when Young was again left one-on-one with Jameson, but the keeper, who looks a fine young prospect, won the battle of wits to deny the No 9.

Consett were creating most of the chances now: a Walton snapshot went a yard wide, Robson almost found Barton with a teasing cross, only for a defender to do just enough to put him off, and sub wasn't too far away with a toe-poked effort from a Walton pass which he lifted over Dryden and, unfortunately, the crossbar.

There was a big shout for a penalty when Teasdale went down in the box under a heavy challenge, but Consett didn't have to wait too much longer for the decisive goal.

It came on 74 minutes, when a Robson corner beyond the back post was kept alive by Craggs, who set up Poole on the edge of the box. He tried to place his shot through the crowded penalty area, and Barton helped it into the net from close range. It was the striker's 27th goal of the season, three more than Poole, who led the scoring charts all season until his team-mate's five-goal blast in the last two games.

The game ended on a bizarre note when Ashington left-back Paul Dunn was mysteriously red-carded deep into stoppage time, presumably for something said to the referee, but it didn't affect the outcome.

With Spennymoor drawing 2-2 at home with Whitley Bay and Benfield losing 3-0 at Dunston, Consett could only be denied second place if Whitley won by 15 clear goals at Benfield on Bank Holiday Monday.

Against all the odds, the Steelmen had taken their final points tally to 93 - their best-ever in Northern League Division One, beating the 86 they achieved as runners-up in 2007-08, the 83 they got in 2008-09, and 76 from a 38-game season in 1976-77.

Full time: Consett 2-1 Ashington

GARY WELFORD