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Arngrove Northern League
19 March 2008
Flat-out City, flatfooted Consett
by Ken Milgate
Consett 2
Thompson 72
Dickman 90+1
Durham City 4
Richardson 6, 18, 70
Toft 23
City’s nifty turn of foot up front and first-to-the-ball approach in midfield and defence limited Consett to few goal-scoring opportunities, while Steven Richardson in his own right might have at least emulated his six-goal haul at home to Washington with a bit more luck.
City set out their stall as early as the second minute when Richardson’s speed in the box prompted a stifled penalty appeal when Carl Piecha upended him, but four minutes later City’s centre forward found the bottom corner of the net with a low drive from a Keith Graydon feed.
The same combination was responsible for City’s copycat second goal twelve minutes later as the home defence again failed to deal with City’s quickness of mind and limb as Richardson outstripped his marker.
When Stephen Capper and John Toft teamed up to provide City’s third goal, almost a replica of the first two, the game looked effectively over after just 23minutes.
An injury to Lewis Dodds robbed City of a major influence in midfield and allowed Consett back into the game, but Steven Johnson shot tamely at John Caffry from close range on 34minutes before Craig Robson drove a free-kick wide of the post from a dangerous central position; three minutes into first-half added-on time Steve Brown sent another free-kick over the bar.
City started the second half in rampant mood, and only a smart rush-out by John Gilmore robbed Richardson on 47minutes. Shortly afterwards, Gilmore produced a cracking save as City fans were all but celebrating a Graydon goal before Richardson’s touch was a trifle too heavy as he attempted to lob Gilmore.
Ironically, Richardson’s speed probably cost him a goal on 63minutes when, following up after a Graydon shot had bounced off Gilmore’s chest, he cleared the crossbar.
Graydon almost caught Gilmore off his line before Caffry excelled with a brilliant save to keep his goal intact.
As City rampaged through the home defence at will, Richardson all but latched onto the rebound following a Toft shot before Gilmore’s fingertips again denied Graydon.
City’s non-stop work rate paid off with twenty minutes remaining when Toft passed to Richardson for yet another hat-trick.
Disappointingly, City conceded a goal two minutes later when Caffry was beaten by sub Andrew Thompson’s deflected shot, City’s keeper was to pull off another excellent save five minutes before the end before Jonjo Dickman scored in off the post after receiving a Steve Johnson pass.
Jimmy Farrell and Ian Davison enjoyed six and three minutes respectively on the Belle Vue pitch before the referee blew for time and City headed for the dressing room in jubilant mood, three points nearer their title aspirations.
For MOTM I’m spoilt for choice yet again with the classy Harra, the irrepressible Rasher and the tireless Speedy marginally ahead of many other worthy candidates, but on the basis that the final touch is the most vital, I nominate Speedy for his well-taken hat-trick and enthusiastic belligerence.
Consett – Gilmore, Piecha (Gaffney 76), Ewart, Dickman, Johnson (D), Robson (Thompson 46), Patterson (Pounder 62), Brown, Moffat, Johnson (S), Colvin
Durham City – Caffry, Harrison, Capper, Dodds (Calvin Smith 31), Dixon, Smith (R), Toft, Graydon, Richardson, Johnston (Farrell 84), English (Davison 89)
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