PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE PAY OFF
But a great defensive display by Whickham
Good teams find a way to win close games. Consett are a good team and they did indeed find a way to win this one, but only just.
They bossed big chunks of the game and other teams could have got frustrated at their inability to score. Consett kept plugging away with patience and persistent: knocking the ball wide to launch attacks down the wing; pushing it through the middle and trying to work the channels, balls over the top of the Whickham defence as well as short passing moves.
They didn’t press the panic button, even with a great defensive display by Whickham and when the visitors came more into the game in the second half.
Just after 20 minutes into the game captain Danny Craggs and Ross Wilkinson both had shots – the first saved, the second put just wide. And then just before half-time Craggs had another shot blocked as John Martin put his body in the way.
They were inches away in the 56th minute when Ryan McKinnon got a glancing header to a free kick only to see the ball hit the post and come back out. Michael Mackay’s follow-up shot went over.
The Steelmen finally broke the resolute Whickham defence in the 80th minute with a move down the left involving Matty Slocombe, Luke Carr and Jordan Lavery. At the end of the attack the ball fell loose in the box and Craggs was the quickest to react and pounded his shot into the goal, with the help of a slight deflection.
Their last shot, by McKinnon, was forced over the bar by Whickham keeper John Mordey.
It’s the first time I’ve seen newly-promoted Whickham this season and they produced one of the best defensive displays I’ve seen for quite some time.
It wasn’t just a case of parking nine outfield players behind the ball. They looked organised, they concentrated and stuck to the task for the entire game and dealt with everything Consett could throw at them. Former Dunston player Dale Burrell was pivotal but the whole back four of Burrell, Tom Soutar, Sam Hedley and John Martin were excellent.
At the start of the game they kept clearing the ball without finding their own players, inviting Consett to attack again. But as the game went on, the whole team seemed to grow in confidence and started to play their football further up the pitch instead of being pegged back to their own 18-yard line.
At the other end, Steven Aiston worked his proverbial socks off: making runs and making a nuisance of himself whenever the Consett defence had possession. At 68 minutes I noted: “…..looks absolutely knackered…still chasing balls over the top…” It wasn’t a surprise when he was subbed a couple of minutes later. He’d put in a shift.
The individual highlights of the game for Whickham were:
A diving save by Mordey in the 22nd minute (his first of two good saves in the game). An acrobatic scissor kick by Kelvin Thear in the 52nd minute. Kallum Hampson-Broadhead hitting the side netting just before the hour mark,, Chad Collins with an effort over the bar in the 57th minute. Joe Mole striking a ball goal-wards only for Wilkinson to clear it.
They came within a whisker of grabbing an equaliser in the fourth minute of added time. The ball fell to Thear and the Whickham No. 11 struck it first time. It hit the left post, ricocheted off the right post and came out. He was desperately unlucky not to score.
They’d pushed Consett every inch of the way.
That’s three wins out of three for Consett in the league and four defeats out of four for Whickham. Things could easily have been different at the end of this match. Both sides can take a lot of positives out of the game.
Finally I’d like to thank Whickham captain Craig Jelley for offering some help with the wording of the blog. I’m happy to take his suggestion on board: “Craig Jelley had a brilliant game.” His team-mates didn’t do too badly either.
- The photo shows Consett chairman Frank Bell presenting Michael Mackay with a golden boot to mark his 300th goal for the club. Frank said: “Michael has exhibited every quality you want from a top-class player. He looks after himself very professionally (except for his diet!). He still has the passion of a young lad and his loyalty has been fantastic – everything you want from a player.” Also pictured is club president John Hurst and the match officials – Samuel Packer, Matthew Carroll and Geoffrey Mann.
Consett 1 Whickham 0 – Ebac Northern League Division One
Mike Snowdon