MICHAEL Mackay's 36th goal of the season - and his first in six games - was enough to take Consett into the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

Manager Kenny Lindoe made one change to the side which drew 1-1 with Bishop Auckland four days earlier, Matthew Slocombe coming in for the cup-tied Lewis Teasdale.

The teenager started on the right side of midfield, and there were a number of positional changes, with Ryan Bell at left-back, Anthony Lund in front of him, and Harrison Davies pushing up front.

The Steelmen started the game brightly, and had the first chance on six minutes. Slocombe started the move on the right, feeding Davies, whose searching pass picked out Lund on the left. He beat his man, former Consett full-back Andrew Burton, and got in a decent shot, which keeper Jim Provett saved low down.

Two minutes later Mackay, who was looking very lively around the box, had the first of several chances to add to his 35-goal haul for the season, but fired wide of the left-hand post.

On nine minutes Consett were ahead, and it was an excellent strike by Lund. Craig Robson picked him out in a similar position to where he'd had the chance a couple of minutes earlier, he controlled the ball with his first touch, and with his second he smashed it past Provett with his less-favoured right foot.

Fast-forward another nine minutes, and the scores were level. Consett's defence failed to deal with a ball forward by Theo Furness, and centre-forward Lev Yalcin thumped it home.

Parity didn't last long, however, as Consett went straight up the other end and restored their lead. Lund headed Davies' deep cross back from the byline to the feet of Mackay, who, with a defender in close attendance, turned and shot under the body of Provett.

The goal seemed to fire up Mackay even more, and he was unlucky not to add to it, first flashing a low shot just wide of the left-hand post from the edge of the box, and then having a shot on the turn blocked by centre-half Craig Bishop.

A tremendous surge forward from midfield by Dale Burrell, who carried the ball 30 yards, set the No10 up with another chance, but his rising shot just cleared the bar when a goal seemed certain.

It wasn't entirely one-way traffic: Furness hit a swerving effort which was well watched by Peter Jameson, and then the Consett keeper narrowed the angle sufficiently in a one-on-one with Yalcin to put the No9 off and make him shoot wide.

Half-time arrived with Consett 2-1 ahead, and well worth their lead.

Half time: Norton 1-2 Consett

The second half was a different story, and most of the clear-cut chances went Norton's way after they changed their shape and started to pose some problems of their own.

David Scorer was relieved to see a header back to his keeper, who had started to come to gather a long ball, drop wide, and Jameson saved well from Yalcin after he got the better of skipper Carl Piecha.

One of the features of Consett's first-half performance was their movement and retention of the ball, but they kept giving away possession, which meant it was Norton who made most of the second-half chances.

Left-back Callam Brown tested Jameson cutting in from the left, midfielder Thomas Hinchley curled an effort just wide of the left-hand post, and Consett's keeper saved well at the near post from Craig Gott after Furness and sub Callum Martin carved through the visitors' defence.

Consett were reduced to playing on the break, and in one such raid they twice came close to clinching the game.

Robson's searching pass sent Mackay away down the left, and he held the ball up well until the arrival of Davies, whose shot was deflected over for a corner.
Burrell's whipped flag-kick flew across the face of goal, and somehow missed Scorer, arriving late at the back post.

Jameson again came to Consett's rescue when he stood up well to save from Martin as the forward took advantage of a mix-up in the visiting defence.
Consett had spent much of the half defending, but they finished strongly, and spent most of the last five minutes attacking.

Davies and Lund set up Bell, whose placed effort was too close to Provett, teenage sub Jack Stanger's raking pass was just too long for Davies, who lost the race to the ball with the keeper, and Mackay blazed over with three team-mates waiting for a pass when Davies set him up after a break.

It didn't matter, as the final whistle went seconds later, and a gutsy performance saw Consett deservedly progress to a last-eight home game with Shildon or West Auckland.

Full time: Norton 1-2 Consett

GARY WELFORD