It was arguably during the remainder of Scunthorpe's 1975-76 Fourth Division season that Ashman achieved his greatest managerial coup. With The Iron having finished rock-bottom of the entire Football League the season before and sitting six points adrift of avoiding a successive re-election application when Ashman returned, he masterminded a great escape and eventual 19th-place finish. This was in large part thanks to a run of seven wins and five draws across March and April, with official club historian John Staff stating that Ashman's efforts "deserved a medal".