Ashton's first ever visit to the HPS Plant Hire Stadium ended with honours even after two strikes from the home side bookended two second half goals by the visitors.

The Robins had James Hardy back in midfield and two on loan players in Scott Holding and Manasse Mampala but got off to the worst possible start as little more than 30 seconds into the action Joe Ackroyd's inside pass saw Callum Ainley progess into the area from where his shot was half blocked by Jordan Eastham but had enough momentum to cross the line.

Five minutes in a ball through the middle saw Hardy tee up Darius Osei whose shot was eventually blocked by Liam Hughes and 15 minutes later Will Tomlinson was forced off following a strong challenge from Bailey Conway which the referee didn't deem worthy of a booking.

Mampala almost scored a debut goal as he beat Ollie Battersby to a long clearance only to see his lob bounce over the crossbar and a cross from sub Billy Whitehouse ended with Ainley bringing a sharp save out of Eastham.

Five minutes before the interval Alex Byrne was taken down by Connor O'Grady in the area with no penalty forthcoming and into the second period Holding picked up a booking for pulling back O'Grady after he had exchanged passes with Josh Walker.

Four minutes before the hour mark a fine long pass out of defence by captain Dylan Cogill saw Byrne's first time control allow a deep cross which was headed home at the far post by Hardy for his first goal since a long injury lay off.

Walker's square pass then saw Ainley bring the best out of Eastham with a snapshot from 20 yards and Cogill guided a header wide from Byrne's delivery.

With 15 minutes left the ball reached the by line from where sub Mikey O'Neill pulled it back for a scramble in the goalmouth which ended with the ball being judged to have crossed the line with Byrne probably getting the last touch.

The points were within reach for the visitors entering the last minute as Walker's pullback from the by line was headed home for the equaliser by Hughes, now operating as a forward, and the hosts could have won at the last as a corner was headed back for Aaron Braithwaite to guide the ball narrowly over.

Att: 434

Team: Eastham, Spooner, Doherty, Holding, Tomlinson (White 22), Cogill, Byrne, Rowe, Hardy (Gilchrist 79), Osei, Mampala (O'Neill 65). SNU: Denton, Chmiel.