FC United of Manchester 1 Lancaster City 1: Dolly Blues' point on the road

A missed penalty, a red card and spurned chances littered a game where Regan Linney and Sam Bailey found the net for their respective teams inside the opening 25 minutes.

Nico Evangelinos thought he had given Lancaster an early lead as his close-range header was fumbled on the line by keeper Dan Lavercombe.

The striker seemed adamant that the ball had crossed the line but his claim was waved away by the assistant.

It appeared a marginal call but, a minute later, David Norris seized upon a loose ball in the box and was fouled to give City a spot-kick.

Evangelinos, though, saw his penalty saved by Lavercombe before FC United rubbed salt in the wound at the other end.

Linney took himself to the top of the scoring charts as he shuffled around on the edge of the box before poking the ball past Sam Waller on 14 minutes.

It seemed like the hosts’ goal would knock the wind out of City, but they responded with an equaliser eight minutes later.

Norris was at the heart of things again as he drove menacingly towards the box before Evangelinos snatched the ball off his toes.

It looked a mistake until he fired it out to Bailey, who cracked the ball inside the far post to make it 1-1.

After the break, City broke continuously without capitalising, perhaps lacking a yard of pace to really punish the hosts.

Though United offered a similar pattern of threat but no bite, they came closest when Joe Rodwell-Grant’s free-kick was magnificently saved by Waller.

Lancaster’s momentum would, however, be abruptly halted by the dismissal of Niall Cowperthwaite.

Having been booked early in the second half for a foul, he saw red after going into a challenge with both feet.

United now had the upper hand and benefited from space on the edge of the box as City retreated.

Tavonga Kuleya spooned an attempt well over the bar as City, by and large, responded really well and still had chances on the counter.

Both teams had golden opportunities late on, Dale Whitham delaying too long in front of Lavercombe before United centre-back Curtis Jones headed wide.