IN his programme notes for Saturday’s home clash with Boreham Wood, chairman Paul Casson made reference to the fact Barrow AFC have rarely made a start to a season as good as this.

The positive is the Bluebirds have another point on the board and maintained their unbeaten record at the Furness Building Society stadium, keeping them in the top half of the Vanarama National League with just one defeat from nine games.

However, manager Paul Cox and his squad know they could so easily have gained a further two points from this encounter were it not for a brief lapse in concentration as the clock ticked over into added time.

When fourth official Stephen Dial raised the board to indicate there would be a minimum of four minutes to play, it still seemed as if a penalty from Byron Harrison would be enough for Barrow to take a 1-0 win over the visitors.

But some panic in the defence from a miss-hit clearance by goalkeeper Joel Dixon led to a corner from which Morgan Ferrier was left completely unmarked in the box – and the Boreham Wood forward duly seized the opportunity to head home the equaliser unchallenged.

It was the second week in a row the home side had conceded a late leveller and were forced to settle for a share of the spoils as a result, with the one or two boos which greeted the full-time whistle perhaps more of a sign of frustration at that fact rather than necessarily a comment on the overall performance of the team.

Because, for large parts of the match, Barrow acquitted themselves well.

The back four were solid and when Boreham Wood’s attack, spearheaded by the lively Angelo Balanta, did manage to find a way through, goalkeeper Dixon was on hand to make some important saves.

Loan duo Dom Smith and Ryan Yates both made a positive impact on their return to the side as well, with the former always looking to push on and press the opposition from full-back and 18-year-old Yates showing signs of why he is so highly thought of at Nottingham Forest with an assured performance alongside Alex-Ray Harvey in central midfield.

What did just, at times, seem to be lacking was that cutting edge in front of goal, although Richie Bennett was perhaps unfortunate not to have put the hosts ahead on 16 minutes when his first-time shot from Harrison’s low cross went narrowly wide and then 11 minutes later when Danny Woodards managed to scramble back and head the striker’s effort from a tight angle off the line. It looked like it might be just one of those days where nothing would go in, which was summed up when Moussa Diarra was left pounding the turf in frustration after glancing a header off target from a Jordan Williams cross on 52 minutes.

But with 20 minutes to go, Harrison was played in and clumsily felled by a defender in the area, with referee David Richardson pointing to spot and the forward dusting himself down to slot home his third goal of the season.

Boreham Wood showed why they have not been beaten on the road so far this season though and although their heads briefly dropped after the penalty, the away side rallied and got their rewards when Ferrier levelled, giving the 26 away fans who made the long trip from Hertfordshire something to cheer about.

Barrow could have snatched all three points right at the end, but substitute Ross Hannah headed narrowly over in the 92nd minute as him, his team-mates and Cox were left to wonder what might have been.