CONSETT picked up another point on a chilly, misty night at Belle Vue as they continued to try to claw their way out of the relegation zone, but in truth they should have had all three after dominating against a lacklustre Terriers side. Manager Kenny Lindoe made two changes to the side which lost at Ashington eight days earlier, with Barry Poskett starting in goal in place of Peter Jameson, who turned up late, and Anthony Lund in for the injured Craig Robson. Lund slotted in at left-back, with Ryan Bell in midfield.

After a scrappy opening, top scorer Michael Mackay had the first chance nine minutes in, when he picked the ball up 30 yards out, carried it forward and tried a right-foot shot, and although it had Bedlington keeper Craig Pickering scurrying across his goal, it went wide of the post, which was to prove a recurring theme for Consett's attempts on goal.

On 13 minutes the home side should have taken the lead with a first-time passing move which Michael Pearson started in his own half. Matty Slocombe and Lewis Teasdale were also involved in setting up another chance for Mackay, who shot a yard wide. It was an excellent move, which deserved a goal. Dale Burrell then shot wide from Teasdale's knockdown from Harrison Davies' cross as Consett to make all the running.

Davies and Teasdale were off-target with efforts from distance, and Lewey then tested the keeper with a header from Burrell's free-kick. Slocombe then set up another chance for Mackay after robbing a defender, and although Mickey got his shot on target this time, Pickering stood up well to save, and Burrell fired the rebound over the bar.

It took 31 minutes for Bedlington to register a shot on goal, and it came from their most impressive player, left-winger Steven Baptist, whose effort was deflected behind by Pearson. From the resulting corner, Consett broke and squandered yet another chance, with Mackay shooting tamely at goal with two better-placed team-mates looking for a pass.

Bedlington's top scorer Anthony Shandran at last got a sight of goal on 34 minutes, flashing a shot across the face of goal after lund had conceded a corner, hacking a dangerous Baptist cross over his own bar. Former Consett man Glen Robson - looking to score against the Steelmen for the third different club this season - then had a shot deflected for a corner. Burrell shot wide from the edge of the box, and Shandran's effort beat Poskett but also the far post as the whistle went on a half-time stalemate.

Half time: Consett 0-0 Bedlington

Like the first 45 minutes, the second half began very cagily, and it was 11 minutes before either side had a chance of note, Lund slashing a shot wide after he combined well with Mackay down the left.

On the hour, Mackay forced an error from Bedlington's goalkeeper from a backpass, and his header from just outside his box fell invitingly to Teasdale, who couldn't keep down his shot at the unguarded goal. Five minutes later, Davies produced the pass of the match, a crossfield ball which picked out Teasdale coming in just behind the left-back. He turned and managed to nudge the ball to Mackay, whose shot was blocked by some splendid last-ditch defending.

Bedlington hadn't created much at all, but Shandran had a chance to snatch the points with 16 minutes remaining, when Mark Convery played him in, but Poskett saved well to preserve his clean sheet at the expense of a corner. A spate of substitutions interrupted the flow of the game as it entered its last 20 minutes, and the only incidents of note were a claim for handball against David Scorer as he charged down a shot from Bedlington sub Steven Stewart, and a yellow card for Glen Robson, who claimed he was barged off the ball by carl Piecha a little too long and loudly for the referee's liking.

A goal-less draw was perhaps the last thing that could have been expected, given the fact that two of the league's top scorers were in opposition, in the shape of Mackay and Shandran. Both had left their shooting boots at home, however, and the game had petered out long before the end. When the final whistle went the visitors seemed much happier with a point than their hosts, who had created three times as many chances, but lacked a killer touch in front of goal.

Full time: Consett 0-0 Bedlington

GARY WELFORD