BARROW AFC boss David Dunn was quick to take the positives despite crashing out of the FA Cup on penalties.

The Bluebirds held League One outfit AFC Wimbledon to a goalless draw in normal time and extra-time before painfully losing 4-2 on penalties.

A second-round home clash with Crawley on Sunday went begging at the end of a closely-fought, rearranged First Round encounter at the Progression Solicitors’ Stadium.

Dunn’s side now have a free weekend after three home games in the space of six days.

It was the latest shoot-out blow for AFC this season having also gone out of the Carabao Cup at Derby on spot-kicks.

Dunn, though, preferred to highlight the overall efforts of a much-changed Barrow line-up against Thursday’s third-tier visitors.

He said: “I don’t want to focus too much on the penalties but look at the positives, and of the nine changes we made, every single one of the lads was fantastic.

“They pushed a really good and competitive League One side all the way. One thing I asked them was to be solid and we did that and kept a clean sheet, and to take them to extra-time was really pleasing.

“Overall I thought the performance was really good. It wasn’t so much a pure football game but it was great to see how the lads kept going and defended their goal and I was really proud of them and how they went about the game.

“We took a good League One side all the way and on another night we could have won it. I’m really pleased with the lads but disappointed to be out of the Cup.’’

AFC could easily have gone through had luck gone their way.

Dimitri Sea had Dons’ shot-stopper Nik Tzanev beaten only to see his shot hit the inside of the post.

Barrow had penalty appeals turned down at other stages in the game before the shoot-out which saw Dior Angus and Scott Quigley unsuccessful from the spot. Josh Kay and Patrick Brough netted for the Bluebirds but Wimbledon converted their first four penalties to go through.

Wimbledon boss Glyn Hodges admitted the Bluebirds had pushed his side all the way.

“We knew it was going to be a tough ask for both of us, having already played on Saturday and Tuesday.

“We started well and had chances, but credit to them, they stayed in it and caused us problems.

“It was a hard-fought game. We didn’t take the clear-cut chances we had and we got a bit anxious and tried too hard.”

Barrow return to action next Tuesday with a league trip to Morecambe.