The Bluebirds matched their North-East counterparts for the entirety of the game, and were left rueing a number of missed opportunities to record their first away win of the season.
Barrow went close themselves in the dying embers of the game, but in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Michael Woods rose highest from a Nicky Deverdics cross to give the home side all three points.
Manager Micky Moore made two changes to the side that lost 1-0 at home to Maidstone United on Saturday, Asa Hall and Chris Clements making way for Liam Hughes and Bedsente Gomis in midfield.
It was the latter who had the game’s first chance, a shot from 25 yards just dipping over the goal.
Three minutes later and Hartlepool went close to an early opening, Deverdics side-footing a Jonathan Franks corner into the arms of Joel Dixon from eight yards. Soon after, his teammate Woods swept an effort to the left of the post.
An end-to-end game continued to provide plenty of chances, Byron Harrison was next to try his fortune, but the Bluebirds forward froze when he was presented with a one-on-one situation with Hartlepool stopper Scott Loach; Harrison lofting the ball over both the keeper and the goal from 10 yards.
Woods again went close for Pools, running from deep to meet Ryan Donaldson’s low cross, but the midfielder spurned his shot wide. Soon after, the hosts’ skipper Carl Magnay dragged a shot wide of the post.
Hartlepool had begun to assert their home dominance on the game, but on 29 minutes Jordan White passed up the best chance of the game so far.
Harrison held the ball up well, flicked it behind for White who, one-on-one with no defender even close to his shadow, only had Loach to beat. The number nine, however, hit it well wide of the goal, venting his frustration by kicking against the post.
Gomis almost gave Barrow an early lead in the second-half, his rising shot from an acute angle forcing Loach into a smart save.
Pools, spurred on by an increasingly frustrated home crowd, piled forward after the hour mark, targeting left wing-back Dan Jones.
A good one-two with Rhys Oates saw Woods surge into the box, but his low pass across goal was turned away by Tony Diagne. Minutes later, Woods crossed from afar, but Oates was unable to make a connection.
On 74 minutes, Jones – playing against the team whose academy he graduated from – was the next to go close for Barrow; however his curling free kick from 20 yards was parried away by Loach for a corner.
From the ensuing set-piece Hughes watched as his header was cleared away on the line by Nicky Featherstone.
After an impromptu and unexplained six-minute stoppage when the fourth official ran down the tunnel, Barrow should have grabbed a winner. A cross from the right into a packed box was met by Hughes’ diving header. Loach saved, and a goalmouth melee followed, Louis Laing excellently blocking Harrison’s effort. Seconds after, Harrison squandered another golden chance, firing wide from 12 yards.
With the stopclock showing 90 minutes, Franks turned on a Lewis Hawkins pass, but his shot bounced off the post.
If Barrow thought they had gotten away with it, they were wrong. In the final minute, a Hartlepool corner from Deverdics was returned to the left back, whose second cross was met by the rising header of the man of the match Woods, who headed beyond Dixon.
Following a request by South Yorkshire Police, Barrow’s FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie at Northern Premier League side Shaw Lane will now be played on Sunday October 15 (3pm kick-off).
The rearrangement is due to home fixtures taking place on the Saturday for Barnsley, Sheffield United and Rotherham United.
Hartlepool United (4-5-1): Loach, Magnay, Laing, Harrison, Deverdics; Donaldson (Oates, 29), Featherstone, Hawkins, Woods, Franks; Rodney (Munns, 66)
Subs not used: Adams, Thorne, Simpson
Barrow (5-3-2): Dixon, Barthram, Dunne, Diagne, Thompson, Jones; Harvey, Hughes, Gomis; White, Harrison
Subs not used: Moore, Bauress, Panayiotou, Bignot, Makoma
Attendance: 3,082 (102 Barrow)
Referee: Mr J. Hull.
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