Ebac Northern League
West Auckland Town…. 5
Consett…………………….. 1
AFTER being handed a hiding on Tyneside the previous week, West were quick to make amends, putting their high flying visitors to the sword and effectively ending the game as a contest after 30 minutes.
The chief architect of West’s success was striker Nathan Fisher, who bagged a half hour hat-trick and could quite easily have scored a couple more before half time.
Second placed Consett were abject during that first 45 minutes.
Their keeper Kyle Hayes had already made good saves from Arran Wearmouth and an Adam Mitchell free kick before Fisher slotted home his first on 11 minutes.
Fisher doubled the advantage on 20 minutes, clipping the ball over the advancing keeper and completed his hat-trick when Anthony Bell played a ball over the top.
A fourth goal was added before the interval in somewhat fortunate circumstances, as the ball ballooned off Wearmouth and into the net.
Consett might have been expected to come out all guns blazing at the start of the second half, but it was West who went closest to extending their lead further.
Hayes produced another good save, this time from Mitchell and Fisher then shot wide.
The visitors finally grew into the game and their consolation came from a free kick when Danny Craggs fired in a free kick to West keeper Shane Bland’s right.
Consett’s Michael Sweet then had a goal controversially ruled out for offside and from the free kick, and with players still arguing the toss with the assistant referee, West raced forward. Fisher set up sub Michael McKeown to side foot home and make the final score 5-1.
The game offered West supporters their first look at a couple of new faces.
Shane Bland, signed on loan from Vanarama National League North side Spennymoor, made his debut at Team Northumbria and will have been much happier with a quiet afternoon on Saturday.
Lewis Dodds completed his move from Shildon just 48 hours before the Consett match and added some steel to the midfield.
The win keeps West fifth in the first division, while Consett continue to occupy second place, despite the defeat.
West were back in action on Tuesday night this week, entertaining Washington at the Wanted Stadium, then on Saturday it’s a trip to Dunston UTS.
