F.A. Carlsberg Vase Second Round
17 November 2007
Chalk and cheese
by Ken Milgate

Durham City 0

Consett 4
Ormston 19
Moffat 30, 33, 86

City’s alarming loss of form and confidence was further underlined when they were losers by an embarrassing distance to a very impressive Consett outfit, meekly exiting the FA Carlsberg Vase without the merest semblance of putting up a fight just to salvage some pride.

For all their eventual defeat, City started brightly, Tommy English forcing an early corner and Jamie Clarke finding two wing crosses, from English and Stewart Morris respectively, too high for him when well-placed in the box.

Gary Ormston, however, had already featured prominently in Consett’s early play and it was just reward for his eye-catching efforts when he lashed a loose ball into the roof of the net on 19minutes after City had failed to clear a corner.

Morris delighted the home fans with a determined right-wing run, but he lost control in the box; even so, there was no-one there to help him.

On the half-hour City’s defence was caught napping again when Mattie Moffat scored with a free-header from a Steve Johnson cross.

The game was effectively over three minutes later when Moffat headed home from a corner.

Even when Morris was floored on the edge of the box on 37minutes in a central position, City could do no better than register a shot off target courtesy of an English free-kick.

Six minutes into the second half Morris set up an unmarked English in the box, but the woefully out-of-form midfielder pulled his shot wide.

In truth, City were totally lacking in commitment and heart for the match.

As the game threatened to peter out into a forgone conclusion, John Mohan tipped over a fine shot on the turn by Mark Patterson.

With four minutes remaining Moffat completed a thoroughly deserved hat-trick with a low drive into the bottom corner, the ball flashing past a stationary Mohan.

Calvin Smith’s header over the bar from a Morris corner two minutes later would have been an undeserved reward for City’s efforts, but Moffat was richly feted by the Consett faithful as he was substituted in stoppage time to effect a solo departure in recognition of his striking excellence.

City have lost their way of late but need more than satellite navigation to put them back on course.  You can only go through the motions for so long; football is mere losing prose unless played with the passion and will to win.

Durham City – Mohan, Harrison, Capper, Dodds, Bowes, Butler (Richardson 53), Morris, Bell, Clarke (Farrell 53), Smith (C), English (Appleby 70)

Subs not used – Pitt, Caffry

Consett – Turns, Coulthard, Gaffney, Patterson, Piecha, Robson, Ormston, Brown (Ewart 46), Moffat (Clark 90), Johnson, Pounder