A second penalty in a week from Matt Jamieson was enough to earn Mellor Firsts a point in their final game of the season.
The 2-2 draw at Ashtonians means Mellor finish sixth in the Premership, a win and Mellor would have been fourth.
Frustratingly we finished below AFC Oldham, a team from whom we took maximum points with wins of 4-0 and a 1-0.
For the opening 45 minutes Mellor looked as if their minds were on the travel brochures.
Ashtonians were quicker to almost every ball and Mellor's passing was erratic, admittedly on a pitch that looked more suited to potato farming.
Cooke tries his luck
The men in red threatened on five minutes with a cross which came to nothing.
Jonny Cooke had a shot blocked at the expense of a corner on nine minutes.
But for the most part the Ashtonians keeper was untroubled.
Ben Beer made an uncharacteristic error on 12 minutes allowing a home forward in but he shot over.
Cooke again in the thick of the action
Dom Simpson was also too high a minute later with a drive after good work from full back Adam Barlow.
Mellor's back four, with Dan Davies making an impressive first appearance in the First Team, were under the cosh.
Mellor's keeper made a good save on 15 minutes and was happy to see another shot whistle over two minutes later.
On 24 minutes Ashtonians took the lead with an unchallenged header from a corner.
Carl Brindley tests the keeper
Mellor responded with a Carl Brindley drive from 26 yards which the Ashtonians keeper turned away for a corner.
Brindley saw another effort deflected for a corner on 32 minutes.
Dom Simpson had a shot blocked on 40 minutes but a minute later he opened his senior account, coolly steering a Matt Jamieson free kick just inside the left hand post for 1-1.
Simpson (Number 11) clips in his first senior goal for Mellor
Mellor's delight was short lived. A minute later Ben Beer left a cross-field ball when he might have been better advised to intercept and an Ashtonians' player executed an unlikely overhead kick from 20 yards which saw the ball drop under the bar into Mellor's net.
Spurred on by manager Si Dalby's hairdryer half time team talk, Mellor, the wind at their backs, emerged with greater purpose in the second half.
Within four minutes they were level, Simpson being clipped by the keeper as the ran through the area onto a Jamieson pass, Jamieson despatching the penalty, although the keeper got a solid glove to the ball, which dropped behind him.
Jamo makes it 2-2
Ashtonians spurned a good chance on 57 minutes, heading wide from six yards.
But Jamieson might have put Mellor ahead four minutes later, bursting through two tackles to round the keeper but slide the ball agonisingly wide.
On 62 minutes Dave Whelan replaced Brindley.
Mellor's tails were up and suddenly there was consternation in the home side's ranks especially on the flanks, where Cooke and Simpson showed speed and guile.
Mellor finish the game the stronger
Man of the Man Chris Coram was probing everywhere and Dave Whelan was popping up in dangerous positions.
On 65 minutes Whelan's clever run and cross presented Adam Barlow with a golden chance at the far post but his half volley from three yards out hit the bar and went over.
Steve Smith replaced Dave Moss on 66 minutes with the momentum now clearly with the visitors.
Jamieson headed over on 69 minutes as Mellor continued to search for a winner.
Ashtonians' back line, so assured early on, looked weary and increasingly troubled.
But despite a series of late corners the home side held on.
Remember the End of Season Presentation Evening is 7pm sharp at the Marple Tavern this coming Saturday May 19th.
