CONSETT bounced back from their trouncing at Newcastle Benfield with a win which could and should have been just as comprehensive. They were four up early in the second half, but took their foot off the pedal and allowed their 10-man opponents two sloppy goals.

Kenny Lindoe made three changes to the team which started at Sam Smiths Park, with Andrew Snaith and Gavin Ross making their first starts in place of the injured Glen Robson and the out-of-form Lewis Teasdale, and Jonny Hewitson coming in for Danny Craggs, who was on holiday.

Consett took the game to their visitors from the start, and were ahead after just three minutes. A long throw by skipper Carl Piecha released Ross to run at the Esh defence, and despite the attentions of a defender, he kept his cool to slot home from 12 yards.

Andy Snaith stabs home the opener

Three minutes later it was 2-0 as Snaith opened his Consett account. Ross latched on to a long kick from goalkeeper Barry Poskett, outpaced his man and pulled the ball back for Snaith, whose first touch bought him a yard of space to fire the ball home.

Gavin Ross makes it 2-0

The Steelmen were rampant, and Piecha thumped a 25-yarder wide before Scott Martindale almost made it 3-0 on 12 minutes. His deflected shot from 20 yards completely wrong-footed Esh keeper Richard Oliver, only to hit the base of the post.

Some good work by Anthony Lund down the left then set up Snaith, who scuffed his shot straight at the keeper, but Consett didn’t have to wait long for a third goal.

It came on 24 minutes, when Snaith’s pass played in Piecha, who rammed it home for his third goal of the season, making him the club’s top scorer.

Five minutes later, Jamie Poole, playing in central midfield, wasn’t too far away with a curler from 25 yards, and the lively Ross, whose pace was troubling the visiting defence, hit a shot straight at Oliver.

Consett went close to increasing their lead with a move which began with a glorious crossfield ball from Poole in the left-back position. Hewitson surged down the right, and picked out Piecha, arriving on the edge of the box. He struck his shot well, and the keeper beat it out. Then, right on the stroke of half-time, Poole forced Oliver into another save.

Half time: Consett 3-0 Esh

Consett had completely controlled the first half, but Esh had the first chance of the second when young forward Adam Croft beat Hewitson and Piecha and forced Poskett to save at his near post.

Six minutes into the half Snaith made it 4-0 with his second goal of the game. Hewitson started the move in midfield, and Jonjo Dickman sent the No 9 clear with a great through pass. He seemed to carry the ball too close to the keeper, but got past him at the second attempt to slot into the empty net.

When lanky Esh striker Ian Ward had to leave the field injured before the hour mark, with all their subs already used, the crowd sensed a goal-feast coming on.

But, bizarrely, the visitors proved more of a threat with 10 men than they had with 11, and they reduced the arrears on 69 minutes. Poole lost the ball outside his own box and Andrew Carr fed Marc Nixon, who finished past Poskett.

Carl Piecha fires in the third

A couple of minutes later, the No 10 almost scored again, when a long ball straight down the middle caught the Consett defence napping. His powerful shot from the edge of the box beat Poskett all ends up, and the keeper was relieved to see it cannon off the underside of the bar for him to gather.

Anthony Lund's shot is blocked

Snaith came close to marking his full debut with a hat-trick when he was set up by sub Teasdale, but Oliver saved well, and then he hit another effort straight at the keeper.

When another goal came with three minutes to go it was the visitors who scored it, and again it was a poor goal from Consett’s point of view. Another ball straight through the middle caught the defence asleep, and Nixon finished well, lobbing the ball over Poskett.

Slightly subdued applause greeted the final whistle, which was understandable after a patchy second half performance, but in truth the game was won in the first 45 minutes, when we had our first glimpse this season of what is hopefully the real Consett.

Full time: Consett 4-2 Esh

GARY WELFORD