Chorley 1 Scunthorpe United 1: Magpies must settle for a point against 10 men

That came on 70 minutes with the controversial dismissal of centre-back Will Evans, who received a second yellow card after a brief shoving exchange with the Magpies’ Mark Ellis.

As the pair squared up face to face, Ellis went to ground far too easily, holding his head, and the referee sent off Evans.

The incident was a blot on a game which had been keenly, but fairly, contested with both sides having spells of superiority.

Chorley started much the sharper and put a sluggish United under considerable pressure.

Ellis had an early chance to open the scoring, but headed wide, before Justin Johnson got free on the right but was closed down just as he aimed to tuck a shot inside the near post.

As the Magpies maintained their momentum, Jack Hazlehurst’s fierce goalbound drive ricocheted off the head of a defender for a corner.

Midway through the half, however, Scunthorpe settled to the task and mounted dangerous counter-attacks.

Cameron Wilson broke through on the left from one of these and fired in a shot from a tight angle which Matt Urwin held at the near post.

It was no real surprise when the visitors took the lead on 43 minutes as Chorley failed to clear their lines promptly enough and Finley Shrimpton floated over a lovely cross which Danny Elliot headed past Urwin.

Scunthorpe’s lead lasted only three minutes after the break as sloppy play saw keeper Ross Fitzsimons’ short roll-out catch Max Kouogun in two minds.

He was hustled out of possession by Jack Moore and Johnson, the latter calmly clipping the ball past the exposed Fitzsimons.

Clear-cut scoring chances for either side were in short supply and, though Chorley began to exert more pressure, United’s well-organised defence stood firm, particularly after the sending off.

That saw the Magpies press relentlessly without finding the searching cross or incisive final ball to breach the barrier, meaning Fitzsimons was not seriously tested and a draw the right result.

Chorley: Urwin, Moore, Ellis, (Wilson 90+3), Smith, Henley, Nolan, calveley, Whitehouse (Blakeman 90+3), Hazlehurst, Johnson, Moyo (Ubaezuonu 85). Subs not used. Britton, Shenton.

Attendance: 1,711.