CONSETT 2 WHITLEY BAY 1
Tuesday 5th September
Callum Patton’s first goal of the season kept Whitley in the game after they had conceded twice in the opening half, but in the end Consett were good value for their victory on their artificial surface at Belle View.
Thibault Charmey returned to the side and Liam Brooks continued his return to fitness by starting his first game of the season. Callum Patton was also back in the starting eleven while in another change from Saturday’s side, Dan Field was handed his debut but crucially Whitley were still without their two injured central defenders, Ross Wilkinson and Callum Anderson.
It was an encouraging start for the Bay and with barely three minutes played Kyle Patton got a low shot on target but keeper David Knight made the save. Whitley were seeing plenty of the ball and their positive start almost paid dividends when Patton volleyed home from ten yards but the goal was ruled out as the youngster was in an offside position.
Very much against the run of play, Consett took the lead after 18 minutes when on-loan striker David Dowson, newly signed from Spennymoor Town, was allowed to run clear down the left with the Bay defence appealing for offside, and he clipped an excellent shot over the advancing Tom Flynn from 20 yards.
The goal gave the hosts a lift and three minutes later Jack Elliott curled a shot narrowly wide of the far post. A mis-kick by Flynn set up another chance for Consett but the keeper atoned for his error with a tremendous point blank save. Consett went two up in the 31st minute when a long ball out of defence was not cut out and veteran striker Michael Mackay lobbed Flynn from distance.
Whitley responded immediately and from Brooks’ cross, Kyle Patton fired straight at the keeper. Moments later Brooks saw a powerful shot deflected over the bar for a corner.
Back at the other end, Hawkins might have extended Consett’s lead but Flynn denied him, pushing the ball over the bar. Three minutes before the interval, seizing on an error by the home side, Brooks almost put Charmey in on goal but when the ball ran on for Callum Patton, his shot cleared the bar.
Whitley needed an early response in the second half if they were to stay in the game and it duly came with 56 minutes on the clock when Callum Patton went past several defenders before slotting the ball home from the edge of the box. Less than a minute later Patton might have got a second goal to level the score but his free kick from inches outside the 18 yard box struck a defender and flew wide.
Consett were searching for a third goal and Ryder had a free kick pushed away by Flynn but Whitley were defending more effectively and remained in with a chance of claiming a point. Into the last ten minutes they forced three corners in rapid succession but with Brooks having been substituted, they lacked the height in the box to trouble the Consett defence. The closing stages saw a series of yellow cards rather harshly brandished for challenges where a free kick seemed adequate.
WHITLEY BAY:Flynn, Nearney, Reay, Haley, Williams, Field, Kempster(Potter 78mins), C Patton, Brooks(Jasper 56mins), Charmey(Cornish 72mins), K Patton
Substitutes not used: Glen-Ravenhill, Hall
Referee: Michael Burrows
Cautions: C Patton, Reay, Haley, Williams
Attendance: 461
