AFTER a torrid week which had seen their manager hospitalised with a heart attack, and damaging defeats by Whitley Bay and Newcastle Benfield, this routine win against relegated Ryton was just the tonic Consett needed.

Caretaker manager David Hagan made five changes to the midweek starting XI, giving a game to some of the squad who haven’t been starting regularly. Young goalkeeper Peter Jameson made his first start in place of Barry Poskett, and there were places for Dale Burrell and Andrew Cuthbertson in midfield, and Gavin Ross and Marc Walton, who was cup-tied against Benfield, up front.

The 16 didn’t include the injured Carl Piecha, David Scorer, Scott Martindale, Jonjo Dickman, but there were four former Ryton players in Burrell, Walton, Ryan Bell and stand-in skipper Craig Robson.

Marc Walton ... 1-0

Any thoughts that the game might produce an upset were dispelled inside the first four minutes, by which time Consett were two goals up.

They went ahead in the first minute, when a ball from Danny Craggs picked out Walton, who turned his man, leaving him on the floor, before finishing from eight yards out.

Josh Watson own goal ... 2-0

Three minutes later it was 2-0, and again Craggs was the architect. Mark Eccles played a ball out to him on the right from halfway, and his low, hard cross into the middle was turned past his own goalkeeper by Ryton centre-half Josh Watson, though if he had missed the ball the two Consett strikers behind him had the simplest of tap-ins.

On 11 minutes it was 3-0, and this time Cuthbertson was the provider. After a good passing move down the right, his cross picked out the unmarked Walton, who headed home from 10 yards.

Consett had a strong penalty shout turned down on 16 minutes, when Cuthbertson’s shot appeared to hit a defender on the arm, but the referee wasn’t interested, and Cuppa then set up Craggs for a powerful 20-yarder which was straight at the keeper.

Craggs was not to be denied though, and on 38 minutes he made it 4-0, taking Kieran Megran’s pass, and teeing himself up for a crisp volleyed finish by knocking the ball over the defender’s head.

Walton hit a rising effort over the bar and Bell headed wide from Craggs’ driven corner as Consett finished the half in complete control.

When the half-time whistle went, Consett keeper Jameson hadn’t had a save to make, as a 25-yard free-kick from Michael Lowdon which dipped over the bar was all Ryton had offered in an attacking sense.

Half time: Consett 4-0 Ryton

Mark Patterson, recalled from his loan spell at Annfield Plain, came on for the second half in place of Robson, with Eccles taking the captain’s armband.

On the hour Consett went nap through Craggs, who took a touch after being fed by Burrell, before smashing the ball past Ryton keeper Iain Richardson.

Eccles beat two men and hit a shot which bobbled just wide of the post, before Craggs completed a 25-minute hat-trick, arriving at the back post to drill the ball into the bottom corner from Burrell’s cross.

Ross turned and shot straight at the keeper as Consett continued to turn the screw, and Craggs could have added to his personal haul when substitute Gavin Barton pulled the ball back for him, but his shot was rising and cleared the bar.

Walton again ... 3-0

Ross then shot inches wide, cutting in from the right, with three teammates waiting for a cross, and Walton almost scored with a quickly-taken free-kick from 30 yards out on the left. He spotted the keeper off his line and tried to beat him, only to watch his shot go narrowly over.

Danny Craggs ... 4-0

With seven minutes remaining Consett made it 7-0, with Barton heading home Burrell’s cross six yards, for his 22nd goal of the season – drawing level with Jamie Poole.

Walton had been seeking to complete his hat-trick for most of the game, and he almost got it when another 30-yard free-kick from a more central position was pushed over the bar by the keeper.

When the final whistle went it was a welcome return to winning ways for Consett after their first back-to-back defeats of the season, with a first hat-trick for Craggs and Walton unlucky not to join him.

Full time: Consett 7-0 Ryton

GARY WELFORD