Match Centre

Heed Take the Spoils in Another Tough Encounter

Heed Take the Spoils in Another Tough Encounter

For the second game running, Consett were made to pay for missed chances and a lack of control in key areas of the field.

After their previous outing against Ryton, the Colts returned to action at home with the visit of Gateshead Colts, and the game certainly didn’t disappoint.

It was the visitors who struck first. Consett had good field position but couldn’t convert it into points, and when Gateshead pushed upfield they earned a penalty for holding on. Their kicker made no mistake, slotting over for an early 3–0 lead.

Just minutes later, Gateshead pressed again. A few missed tackles in the wide channels proved costly as they crossed under the posts. With the conversion added, the score moved to 10–0. A further penalty stretched their advantage to 13–0 before Consett finally found their spark.

On 28 minutes, strong carrying from the forwards and quick ball at the ruck allowed centre Will Penrose to crash through close to the breakdown and score. Windows added the extras to cut the deficit to 13–7. However, just before half-time Gateshead struck again with their second try. The conversion was missed, but they went into the break ahead 20–7.

Coach Jones reshuffled the backline at the interval, and the changes paid off. Early in the second half, Penrose once again found space, bursting through to score under the posts. Windows converted to bring it back to 20–14.

Consett then built real pressure, and when a stray Gateshead pass was hacked forward, Penrose was quickest to react. Collecting the ball on the run, he showed great pace to finish from 50 metres for his hat-trick. With Windows adding the extras, Consett led for the first time at 21–20.

But the game turned on a yellow card. Turner was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, and Gateshead took advantage of the extra space, attacking down his channel and crossing for a decisive try they reclaimed the lead at 25–21. Despite both teams pushing hard until the final whistle, the score remained unchanged.

Both sides played their part in an exciting contest, and while Consett will rue missed chances, the performance showed clear signs of progress and plenty of promise for the games ahead.

Player of the Match (as voted by the players): Will Penrose – a superb hat-trick performance.

With a week off now, the Colts will turn their attention to preparing for their next challenge at home to Bishop Auckland.