Liam Hodgson, Codie Howe, Jordan Harkess and Andy Johnston were included in the starting line up for today’s Fa Cup tie at Consett.

The home side started on the front foot and went close in the 5^th minute with a well struck effort from Michael Swett that was blocked by Seaham’s Darryll Donnelly, 5 minutes later a surging run from Sweet was stooped at the expense of a corner by Codie Howe. Luke Carr’s kick went beyond the far post and appeared to go out of play before it was returned into the six yard box by Calvin Smith, with the visitors defence appealing for a goal kick Michael Mackay smashed the ball home to give Consett the lead. The Star lifted their game from the restart and Gardiner had along range effort held by Hayes, Seaham keeper Harkess did well to smother a shot from Carr on 26 minutes. The Star equalised following a good move down the right involving Toward and Gardiner which saw the ball moved into the path of Palmer who went past Purewal before firing into the bottom corner of the goal in the 30^th minute. The Star were enjoying their best spell of the game and Hayes had to push a shot from Johnston round the post to keep the scores equal at half time.

Seaham continued where they left off and a ball from Hodgson found Palmer in space and the the Star skipper lobbed the advancing Hayes to give Seaham a 2-1 lead 2 minutes into the second period. Five minutes later Palmer found himself in the same position but this time Hayes made, what proved to be a match changing save. Within 3 minutes of the Star having the opportunity to take a 3-1 lead, Consett came back to make in 2-2 with a goal gifted by bad defending as the ball ricochets around in the Seaham penalty area, in the end it was Mackay who stabbed the ball home for his second of the game. The goal lifted both the home side and the crowd and five minutes later Michael Sweet put the hosts in front latching onto a poor clearance from Myers, who tried desperately to make up to put a block on the shot. Consett made it 4-2 in the 64^th minute when midfielder Slocombe smashed the ball past Harkess from 15 yards. The Star never gave up and were unfortunate when a Hetherington effort came back into play from the foot of the post in the 78^th minute, Consett broke from the rebound and twenty seconds later Sweet had the ball in the Seaham net for his second and Consett’s 5^th. A bad day for Seaham was made worse in the next minute when midfielder Andy Johnston was stretched from the field with a knee ligament injury that could keep him out for a long while.

A final score of 5-2 saw Consett progress in the Cup, but the Star can feel badly done by the scoreline and it could have been so different if Hayes hadn’t made that save from Palmers effort early in the second half.

Team: Harkess, Toward, Howe, Hodgson, Myers, Donnelly (Jewitt), Palmer, Johnston (Evans), Gash, Gardiner, Weirs (Hetherington)

Unused Subs: Byrne, Hunter, Steele, Hutchinson