Whickham Crushed by Ruthless Consett at Home

Whickham suffered one of their worst defeats in their as they were thrashed 9-2 at home to Consett on Wednesday evening.

Arjun Purewal headed the visitors ahead before Ali Alshabeeb found the net two minutes later and again on 31 minutes.

Tom Scothern pulled a goal back for the hosts on 33 minutes, but Matthew Slocombe and Alshabeeb, rounding off a first-half hat-trick, made it 5-1 to the Steelmen at half-time.

Consett scored three goals in the first eight minutes of the second-half, Dale Pearson getting in on the action and Purewal completing his hat-trick.

Pearson scored Consett’s ninth of the evening on 69 minutes and the visitors threatened to make it double figures.

Ricky Fenwick found the net on 80 minutes, but the hosts were second best on the evening and will want to put the result quickly behind them ahead of Saturday’s game at home to Sunderland RCA.

Player-manager Matty Pattison was without a recognised striker in his starting line-up as Dale Burrell led the line for the second successive game.

Consett’s intentions were clear from the get-go, after Luke Carr sent a dangerous free-kick, from the left, across the face of goal and wide early on.

Pearson had his first sight of goal on four minutes, while Jack Wilson produced a brilliant save to deny Carr, who drove across the edge of the area and lashed goalwards.

The visitors broke the deadlock soon after. Jake Orrell swung a cross into the box and Purewal glanced the ball into the corner of the net.

Two minutes later, the Steelmen doubled their advantage. Jermaine Metz’s long throw-in played Pearson into the penalty area. The striker pulled the ball back for Alshabeeb, who tapped home at the back post.

Consett’s free-flowing football was dissecting Whickham, it seemed, with every attack. Carr was unable to direct his effort goal wards before Fenwick fired a good chance over the bar for the home side.

The hosts were disgruntled after the visitors got their third. Burrell appeared to be fouled in the Consett half, but the Steelmen continued and Alshabeeb rounded off the attack by curling home.

Scothern was played through on goal on 33 minutes and found the net with a clinical finish and the midfielder should’ve has his second three minutes later, but was denied by the ‘keeper.

Consett controlled the closing stages of the first-half and scored two goals within the space of a minute to take complete control of the game.

Carr’s low cross was swept home by Slocombe at the back post before Alshabeeb raced through the middle and wrapped up a first-half hat-trick.

Pearson should’ve made it 6-1 on the stroke of half-time, but Wilson, in the Whickham goal, produced a terrific save from point-blank range.

A big lift was needed from the hosts, but after Chad Collins tested the Consett ‘keeper, the visitors went up a gear and went further ahead.

Alshabeeb broke through again and squared the ball across to Pearson, who struck home into an empty net.

The striker forced a good save from Wilson on 50 minutes, the ‘keeper pushing the ball behind for a corner. From the set-piece, Orrell swung the ball into the box and Purewal volleyed home.

Wilson was on hand to deny Pearson again on 52 minutes, but there was nothing he could do a minute later to keep out Consett’s eighth of the evening.

It was almost a carbon copy of the seventh goal, but this time, Orrell’s corner was headed into the far corner of the net by an unmarked Purewal.

Pearson almost had an assist to his name two minutes later, but his low cross was just out of the reach of the sliding Carr at the back post.

The visitors were controlling the game and added a ninth goal to their tally when Pearson dinked the ball over the approaching ‘keeper on 69 minutes.

The last action of the game was Whickham scoring their second of the evening. Pattison’s corner was helped on by Burrell before Fenwick fired into the roof of the net – his first goal for the club.

Nevertheless, the result had been settled for some time and the hosts will need to pick themselves up ahead of Saturday’s match.

Whickham: Wilson, Howard (Robson, 41), Fenwick, Exley, Peareth, Scothern, McAndrew, Pattison, Burrell, Collins, Cowburn

Subs Not Used: Burn, Cranston, Newton

Consett: Hayes, Metz, Holden, Slocombe (Russell, 46), Purewal, Wilkinson, Orrell (MacKay, 60), Smith, Pearson, Carr, Alshabeeb (McAloon, 55)

Subs Not Used: Allen, Ardelean

Goals: 0-1, 12 min, Purewal; 0-2, 14 min, Alshabeeb; 0-3, 21 min, Alshabeeb; 1-3, 33 min, Scothern; 1-4, 38 min, Slocombe; 1-5, 39 min, Alshabeeb; 1-6, 47 min, Pearson; 1-7, 50 min, Purewal; 1-8, 53 min, Purewal; 1-9, 69 min, Pearson; 2-9, 80 min, Fenwick

Referee: Craig Chatten

Assistants: Evan Culling and Stephen Beresford

Attendance: 179

Photo: Will Matthews