CONSETT came from two goals down to earn a useful point against top-six opponents making their first-ever league visit to Belle Vue. Manager Kenny Lindoe made two changes to the team which drew 0-0 at Penrith in midweek, Anthony Lund and Harrison Davies returning in place of David Brown and Matty Slocombe.

The game kicked off in bright sunshine, punctuated by snow flurries and a strong, swirling wind, which made the early passages of play scrappy. Dale Burrell's free-kick from the left just evaded Michael Mackay and David Scorer in the middle, and a lob by Davies almost put Mackay in, but the 35-goal striker hesitated and Aycliffe keeper Scott Pocklington was off his line quickly to avert the danger.

On 12 minutes David Molloy had a glorious chance to open his goalscoring account. Davies picked him out with a great crossfield pass, and he surged into the box and beat his man. The goal seemed to open up before him, but instead of shooting, for some reason he chose to cross for Mackay, who was coming in at the back post. A defender cleared at the expense of a corner, and a golden opportunity was gone.

Wood's cross finds the net

Five minutes later the visitors had their first chance, and it came courtesy of a poor kick-out from home keeper Peter Jameson. A good passing move saw Paul Broom pull the ball back from the byline for Joshua Knox, and his shot looked a goal all the way until Jameson redeemed himself with a good save, palming the ball round the post.

Ryan Bell creates a chance in the snow

Midway through the half, with snow starting to bleach down, Consett squandered another good chance. Molloy started the move in the centre circle, spraying a great pass out to Davies on the left. For some reason Aycliffe keeper Pocklington came charged out of his area, and Davies went past him with ease. With three team-mates waiting in the middle for a cross, he ballooned the ball yards over the bar.

Molloy had a shot on target from Mackay's headed flick on 27 minutes, without seriously troubling the keeper, and the No 10 then had the ball taken off his toe by a well-time challenge from centre-half John Close as he shaped to shoot after working himself some space from a Michael Pearson pass.

Aycliffe, despite playing into the teeth of a strong wind, always looking threatening on the break, and it took a combination of Jameson and Lund to keep out Broom's shot after Wood played him in. From the resulting corner the teenage keeper again had to be alert to keep out Broom's low effort.

At the other end, Davies put a fine hard, low centre across the six-yard box, which no one could get on the end of, and when Close only half-cleared, Burrell warmed the keeper's hands with a strike from 20 yards.

On 36 minutes, Consett were made to pay for the missed chances when Aycliffe went a goal up. Pearson gave away a free-kick 25 yards out for pulling back Danny Mellanby, and though Nathan Wilson hit his effort straight at the wall, the danger was not cleared. The ball found its way to Wood on the left, and Jameson could only parry his well-struck near-post cross-shot into the net.

Davies hit one effort a couple of yards wide and then went much closer, with the keeper grasping at thin air, after being set up by Gavin Ross, and there was still time for Pearson to survive a half-decent penalty shout before the half-time break arrived with the home side trailing 1-0.

Half time: Consett 0-1 Aycliffe

With the wind at their back in the second half, Aycliffe came out full of purpose, and Wood (twice) and left-back Stuart Owen had decent efforts in the opening five minutes. On 52 minutes the visitors' came within a crossbar's width of doubling their lead after a swift break. They had four men running at Consett's two, and it took a fine save from Jameson, who touched Wood's shot onto the bar, and a wild follow-up from Broom, who blazed into the side netting with the goal at his mercy, to keep the score at 1-0.

Eleven minutes into the half, Consett had an excellent chance when Davies and Mackay beat the offside trap, but Pocklington was off his line quickly to deny the Steelmen's leading scorer. Play switched quickly to the other end, and the home side were instantly made to rue the miss. Mellanby's perfect pass sent Broom in on goal, and he lifted the ball over the advancing Jameson to make it 2-0.

David Molloy under pressure

To their credit, Consett's response was positive, and immediate. Mackay started the move in midfield, and sent Ryan Bell away down the right. He pulled the ball back invitingly for the No 10, who looked odds-on to score until he scuffed his shot across goal. Luckily, Burrell had followed in on the left, and finished from close range at the far post.

A minute later, the game swayed in Consett's favour when Aycliffe were reduced to 10 men. Centre-forward Wood, who had been their most impressive player, was shown a straight red card for using foul and abusive language.

Michael Mackay lets fly

On 62 minutes, fortune again favoured Consett when visiting centre-back Close injured himself in conceding a corner. With him off the field receiving treatment, skipper Carl Piecha found space in the box to head home Davies' corner for his first goal of the season.

Home fans hoped the equaliser would give Consett the impetus to go on and win the game against their 10-man opponents, but it didn't quite work out that way. Ross and Mackay combined well to set up the No 10, but Aycliffe sub Josh Gray, who almost signed for Consett in the summer after leaving Darlington, halted him with an excellent last-ditch tackle, and he did it again a few minutes later to deny Ross.

Close and Piecha were booked after giving away free-kicks in dangerous positions at either end as both teams sought a winner, but both came to nothing, and, on the balance of play, the final score of 2-2 was probably a fair result.

Full time: Consett 2-2 Aycliffe

GARY WELFORD