ANOTHER hard-won away draw brought Lancaster City's stuttering Unibond League season to an all-too-familiar conclusion at Ashton United on Saturday.

The City side had fought back from going an early goal down to lead 2-1 with half an hour to go but then leading scorer Andy Whittaker received his marching orders and the Dolly Blues failed to hold on.

The 31-goal striker was red-carded for something he said to the referee following an incident in the centre circle on the hour.

Whittaker clearly thought he had been fouled when a combination of Darren Royle and Gareth Morris sent him tumbling to the ground for the umpteenth time. The ref had other ideas and took exception to Whittaker's words to such an extent that a straight red card was the outcome.

Getting back to the football, the home side made all the early running and were well worth the 1-0 lead given to them by Jamie Miller in the first quarter.

Only a couple of good stops from Mark Thornley stopped them going further ahead as they kept City pegged back in their own half for the most part. And when he was finally beaten, the crossbar came to Lancaster's rescue.

There was a different tale to tell after the interval as City came out determined to get back into the action.

The introduction if substitute Lee Clitheroe certainly livened things up in attack and within two minutes he won the corner which was to see the scores level.

Butler's flag kick was only half cleared by United keeper Trueman and Chris Bennett returned it with interest from the edge of the box.

It took only five more minutes for the game to be turned completely on its head as a speculative long ball into the Ashton area landed invitingly at Clitheroe's feet and he didn't need to be asked twice. One touch was all it took to dispatch his shot into the net.

Whittaker's dismissal proved the pivotal point after that, sentencing 10-man City to some desperate defending to protect the lead. It wasn't to be as a corner was nodded home by Denney to leave the sides sharing the spoils and places next to each other in the lower reaches of the final league table.

CITY: Thornley. Fensome, McGonnell (Clitheroe 45), Sparrow, Rigby, Mercer, Bennett, Butler (Whittal-Williams 80), Whittaker, Sewell, Yates (Graham 83).

May 1, 2003 09:30