Consett 1-2 Steels

Stocksbridge Park Steels won the Battle of Steel after coming from behind to beat Consett.

Both teams came out with a point to prove and looked to get an early goal. Leigh Whelan was causing problems, his first effort going wide before later on bulldozing Ross Coombe and knocking one into the goal. Obviously, that would be disallowed. At the other end, Harrison Davison-Hale had to palm a shot from Colin Larkin over the bar. The veteran forward cut inside before letting off the shot that was well saved by the goalkeeper.

Unfortunately though, Consett would get the lead. They went down the left side and with a good ball across, found Zak Atkinson whose first touch wasn’t great. He would recover from it before firing the ball into the bottom corner.

Stocksbridge would look to turn the game around and while Consett had more of the ball after their goal, Ify Ofoegbu was looking dangerous down the right hand side. His first shot would end up going over, but the best was to come. Stocksbridge cleared, and Ofoegbu chased it down. He put enough of a shove of the defender to give him space and when he bared down the goal, he fired past Coombe.

The rest of the second half passed without much incident, though Consett pressed and looked to retake the lead. They ended the half with a good chance, but thankfully Davison-Hale was on form again with an impressive save to stop Declan Bisset.

The second half couldn’t have started better for Stocksbridge. Consett were pegged back in defence and Stocksbridge turned on the high press. The ball was played back to Coombs who in haste passed the ball right to Whelan who couldn’t believe his luck as he smashed it into the back of the net.

It may have been the day after Halloween but Consett’s defensive antics were the most terrifying thing in the North East. They continued to play from the back but the Stocksbridge attackers sensed blood as they pressed. If only for some lucky bounces, Poole and Lewis Macaskill could have added to the lead as they successfully closed down Coomb in the Consett goal.

While they looked fragile in defence, Consett did look dangerous in attack and weren’t far off scoring. Consett’s leading scorer Jake Orrell had an effort deflect wide while Frenchman Cyril Giraud, who had been a constant bother down the right wing, headed over after a Calvin Smith cross.

Stocksbridge would be aggrieved that they wouldn’t go two goals ahead. A great ball forward would find Poole and he went on to finish past the goalkeeper. There’d be no celebrations though as the linesman’s flag went up, though he didn’t appear to be offside. Elsewhere, Oglesby’s half volley was well saved by Coomb while Mitch Langton’s header was cleared off the line.

Consett would continue to press and it lead to a very nervy end of the game for Stocksbridge as they looked to grab a late equaliser. They chucked a lot of balls in but for the most part, the combination of Davison-Hale, Oglesby and Elliot Murray were able to deal with it. The biggest heart in mouth moment was when Larkin’s powerful shot smashed downwards from the bar but some how, it didn’t go in.

Stocksbridge would go on to survive the onslaught and a claim a massive away win in the North East.