The Turf FC faced a daunting challenge against Consett Scotch Arms First at Consett AFC on 20 October 2024, with kick-off at 10:00 am. The match ended in a heavy defeat for The Turf, who succumbed to a staggering 9-2 loss in this league encounter, showcasing the gulf in class between the two sides.
The Turf FC lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, designed to provide a solid defensive base while allowing for attacking flair. Nick Dow took his place in goal, shielded by a back four consisting of Andy Gowland on the right, playing over the injured Ewan, Dan Gowland and Lewis Sullivan in central defence, and Jonny Thirlaway on the left. In front of them, Joe Currie and Dylan Sharp operated as central midfielders, tasked with both breaking up opposition play and supporting the attack. The attacking trio featured Liam Henry on the right, Decous French in the central role, and Lewis Currie on the left, with Matty Wheatley leading the line as the lone striker.
The match began with a bang as the Scotch opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a stunning strike that left Nick Dow with no chance. The Turf's troubles compounded shortly after when Dylan Sharp was forced off due to a nasty challenge leaving the CM hobbling off the pitch, making way for Tommy High in the 20th minute. Just moments later, Consett struck again, this time benefiting from a fortunate deflection to double their lead.
As the first half progressed, the Scotch continued to dominate, scoring their third goal in the 25th minute from inside the box. However, The Turf found a glimmer of hope when Matty Wheatley netted a well-crafted goal, assisted by Lewis Sullivan, in the 30th minute. Wheatley followed this up with a spectacular long-range effort just five minutes later, bringing the score to 3-2 and igniting hopes of a comeback.
Unfortunately for The Turf, the Scotch quickly extinguished those hopes, scoring again in the 37th minute with a simple tap-in arpund the keeper. The relentless onslaught continued as they added three more goals before half-time, one in the 40th minute and another from close range in the 42nd minute, and the seventh long range strike in the 45th leaving the score at 7-2 at the break.
The second half saw Ewan McCabe come on for Matty Wheatley, but he was substituted back off shortly after due to injury, with Wheatley returning to the pitch. The Turf's woes continued as the Scotch scored their seventh goal in the 60th minute, further widening the gap. The final nail in the coffin came in the 70th minute when the Scotch executed a fluky lob from 25 yards out to seal a humiliating defeat for The Turf.
Despite the heavy defeat, there were no poor performances on the pitch from the away side. Come the second half, we saw Lewis Sullivan push up into midfield to offer more strength and possession on the ball, while Jak Booth Sat at the back in a partnership alongside Dan Gowland. Despite the heavy loss, Andy Gowland stood out as a beacon of resilience in an otherwise challenging match for The Turf. The Turf will need to regroup and reassess their strategies as they look to bounce back from this disappointing outing.
