Consett 1-0 Steels

Stocksbridge Park Steels lost to Consett due to one of the most bizarre goals of the season.

The biggest protagonist of the day would not be any of the players on the pitch but the weather. The wind was blowing a gale and affecting play heavily, especially when both sides tried to play long balls. It meant that we were never going to get a great game of football and all three points would end up with who could make the most of the conditions.

For a while, it seemed like Stocksbridge would be the team to make the most of the wind, especially with it blowing in from the back. This was notable for Luke Hogg who sent a missile of a shot that was carried by the wind but Kelechi Chibueze made an unconventional save to keep the game goalless. At the other end, Zak Atkinson got onto a bad back pass but Ben Townsend made a sliding challenge to stop him from making the most of that mistake.

In the second half, Consett would take the lead through a goal that would end up on the old blooper videos if they still were sold. Hogg tried to clear the ball but Will Shaw blocked it at point blank range with his bum and back. The wind then took the ball and curled it into the back of the net, becoming a contender for most ridiculous goal of the season.

Stocksbridge tried to get onto the front foot to get back into the game but that was tough now that they were kicking into the wind. But they did struggle and things didn’t fall right. The Steels were able to whip plenty of dangerous balls across the six-yard area but no one was there to be able to tuck it in. It means Stocksbridge were blanked, and Consett got their revenge for their loss at Bracken Moor just over a week ago.