Barrow were held to a goalless draw by Gloucester City in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round on Saturday. The result forces a replay and extends the club's unbeaten run to six matches across all competitions, mirroring their recent league form of four wins and a draw in their last five National League games.
Adam Murray's side, who sit eighth in the National League with 21 points from six wins, three draws and four losses, made six changes to their starting lineup. They created the better chances throughout the contest at the Furness Building Society Stadium. Seb Thompson delivered an early cross for Alex Reid, who headed wide, and Xavier Benjamin forced a low save from Gloucester keeper Sam Kane after 20 minutes. Dan Mooney saw a free-kick palmed over the bar just before the half-hour mark.
Gloucester's best opportunity of the first half came from Ethan Dunbar, who fired over from a cross. Barrow continued to press after the break, with substitute Innes Cameron having a shot cleared off the line by Michael O'Regan with ten minutes remaining. The game's major flashpoint arrived in the 88th minute when Mikey Lane, himself a second-half substitute, received a second yellow card and was sent off, reducing Barrow to ten men.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Barrow almost snatched a winner in injury time. Arian Allen won a free-kick which Seb Thompson struck well, but Sam Kane was again equal to it, making a key save to preserve the clean sheet. The match saw three other yellow cards, with Barrow's Corey Edwards booked early on. Edwards was on the scoresheet in the recent 2-1 win over Tamworth, a result that contributed to the team's strong run.
The draw means Barrow must travel for a replay to decide who progresses to the first round proper. Attention now turns back to league action, with a home fixture against 16th-placed Forest Green Rovers next on the schedule this Saturday 24 October. Barrow's recent league form, which includes wins over Tamworth, Wealdstone and Scunthorpe, has them firmly in the promotion conversation, 14 points behind leaders Boreham Wood. The team has scored 22 goals and conceded 16 this season, giving them a goal difference of plus six as they prepare for the visit of Forest Green.
