Ten-man Scarborough Athletic dig deep for valuable point on road at Ashton United

Midfield dynamo Lewis Maloney was back after missing the last five games through injury, and Kieran Weledji played at right back as Boro lined-up in a 4-4-2 formation against mid-table Ashton, who may have had one eye on Monday's Manchester Premier Cup Final against Hyde United, writes Steve Adamson.

Florian Yonsian fired over in the second minute, then the Ivory Coast born striker ran onto a through-ball, but was halted by a great tackle from Will Thornton as the hosts made a bright start.

In Boro's first attack, Luca Colville played the ball wide to Ash Jackson on the left, and he fired in a shot that was charged down by former Boro loanee Harry Spratt, then a period of precision passing ended when Colville shot narrowly wide of the right-hand post.

A Jackson cross was plucked off the head of Colville by home keeper Greg Hartley, before a moment of high drama on 39 minutes when a tussle near the halfway line saw Simon Heslop clatter into Ashton midfielder Sam Sheridan, and the referee brandished a red card for a reckless challenge, despite Heslop's claims that he had been pushed from behind.

Ben Hardcastle had a snap-shot blocked by Ryan Watson, and just before the interval Jackson surged down the left, but was foiled by a strong tackle from Sam Baird, then a long throw from Jackson fell to Colville, but Liam Tomsett blocked his shot.

Despite being a man down, Boro dominated possession in the second half, but lack of a cutting edge proved costly, although the first chance fell to Ashton when Yonsian fired over from 20 yards.

Boro played some delightful passing football, and forced the home side back into defence, with Maloney drifting a shot over before the best chance of the game on 57 minutes, when Jackson threaded a through-ball to Michael Coulson who was one-on-one with keeper Greg Hartley, who did brilliantly to save Coulson's shot with his legs, and shortly after, Jake Day failed to connect with a through-ball from Colville and the keeper flicked the ball to safety.

Kieran Glynn fed Day, who raced to the bye-line before sending over a low cross that was scrambled clear, then a cross from Jackson was hacked away by full-back Cole Lonsdale before Colville could apply the finishing touch, and keeper Hall snatched the ball off the head of Weledji following a Colville corner.

It was all Boro, and Coulson cleverly back-headed into the path of Colville, but Ashton centre-back Ekow Coker flung his body in the way of Colville's shot, and a Jackson cross was headed at the keeper by Bailey Gooda.

In rare Ashton attacks, Tomsett blazed a long-range shot over, and keeper Ryan Whitley gathered a couple of dangerous crosses into the box.

Coulson raced down the left and passed into the box, but Lonsdale kicked clear to foil Day, and a Colville cross was headed away by Spratt. Coulson back-headed a long ball forward from Gooda into the path of Colville, who screwed his shot narrowly wide.

On 80 minutes Ashton went down to ten men, when Ekow Coker, who had been booked in the first half, lunged into Coulson, and received a second yellow, and soon after, a strike from Jackson forced a diving save out of keeper Hartley.

Lonsdale drove a 25-yard free-kick just wide in Ashton's last chance of the game, but Boro created two late chances, Day flicked on a long throw from Jackson to Colville, who headed goalwards but keeper Hartley dived to push the ball away, then Brad Plant had a shot charged down in the last minute.

BORO: Whitley, Weledji (Jarvis 85), Jackson, Heslop, Thornton, Gooda, Watson (Day 60), Maloney (Plant 76), Coulson, Glynn, Colville

MAN OF THE MATCH: Ashley Jackson.

ATTENDANCE: 405.