CONSETT'S recent Jekyll and Hyde form continued as, following their excellent fightback at Billingham Synthonia in midweek, they produced an insipid performance to go down tamely 2-0 to fellow strugglers South Shields.

Manager Kenny Lindoe made one change to the team which had won at Central Avenue, with Jack Stanger returning in place of Richie Slaughter. Shields included Matty Soulsby, who made one fleeting substitute appearance for Consett in the 2009-10 season, in their starting line-up.

Stanger and Gavin Ross had half-chances for the visitors before they fell behind yet again to an early goal which could have been avoided. Flying winger Denver Morris nipped in front of Barry Poskett after indecision between the goalkeeper and his skipper Carl Piecha, and squeezed the ball home from a tight angle in the 9th minute.

Gavin Ross lits fly

Three minutes later there was a huge let-off for Consett when Soulsby put in an excellent cross from the right and found midfielder Andrew Barclay unmarked no more than six yards out. But the Shields captain somehow missed the target, putting his shot over the bar. Ross then survived a penalty appeal after Morris went down in the box under his challenge, but the referee was having none of it.

Carl Piecha shoots just wide

On 16 minutes Consett had a decent chance when a left-wing corner was cleared only as far as Piecha on the edge of the box, and he was unlucky to see his effort go a yard wide of the post.

The miss was to prove costly, however, as midway through the half the Mariners doubled their advantage. Striker Peter Kane picked up the ball 25 yards out, turned his man, and smashed home a stunning effort which gave Poskett no chance.

Consett were rocking, and were lucky not to concede further goals, as Shields' tails were clearly up. Another Soulsby pass to Barclay saw the No 8 fire just wide, only for the referee to award a corner. From Kane's flag-kick, centre-forward Stephen Ramsey was inches away from applying the finishing touch, and Soulsby flashed another cross across the face of goal as the visitors failed to clear their lines.

There was one more chance for Consett to get a foothold in the game a couple of minutes before half-time, but left-back Paul Talbot cleared Piecha's goal bound header from Anthony Lund's free-kick off the line.

Half time: Shields 2-0 Consett

The break arrived with Consett needing inspiration from somewhere to get back into the game, and Lindoe brought on Matty Slocombe for Ross just five minutes into the half. He slotted into the same wide-right role, but it was right-back Michael Pearson - who was signed from the Filtrona Park club - who provided most of the Steelmen's attacking threat.

Consett were finding it hard to get the ball down and play on the rock-hard pitch, and little had been seen of their front two. Michael Mackay did have a chance from a free-kick awarded for a foul on his strike partner Lewis Teasdale 20 yards out, but wasted it, firing his effort straight at the defensive wall.

As the game entered its final 15 minutes, Shields substitute Anthony Coe made one of the few clear-cut second-half chances for himself, picking the ball up midway into the Consett half and running at David Scorer, who was facing his old club. He went past him and got in a low, hard shot, put Poskett saved well. Then Morris, whose pace and trickery caused problems all afternoon, had a shot from the edge of the area, but it went wide.

David Scorer climbs heighest

Consett had already brought veteran John Ewart on for teenager Stanger, and they made their final throw of the dice right at the death, when 16-year-old striker Ryan King replaced Piecha. The youngster was immediately involved in the visitors' best move of the game, pulling back Burrell's pass for Teasdale, who blazed over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

Piecha's header is cleared off the line.

Burrell then surged forward from midfield and tried a shot as Consett sought a consolation, but it flew well over, and it really was a case of too little, too late.

The second half, was a poor showing from both sides, and the defeat left Consett not quite out of the relegation shake-up. That said, Jarrow Roofing's 3-0 home defeat to Shildon, and the fact they only have two games left - tough away fixtures at Bedlington Terriers and Sunderland RCA - meant the Steelmen realistically only needed only a point from their last six games to secure 1st Division football next season.

Full time: Shields 2-0 Consett

GARY WELFORD