Ipswich Town 0 Barrow 0

BATTLING Barrow secured a home replay after holding League One Ipswich Town to a goalless draw.

Both sides had their chances, but they will have to do it all again at Holker Street after their stalemate at Portman Road.

Manager Mark Cooper can be full of pride at how his side kept out a team 33 places higher than the Bluebirds in the Football League.

And even more importantly the draw means the club ended their three-game losing streak and earned them a vital money-spinning home replay.

Cooper made a trio of changes for the trip to Suffolk. Connor Brown, Mark Ellis and Patrick Brough were all restored to the starting line up after last week’s disappointing 1-0 defeat at Football League new boys Sutton United.

Tom Beadling returned to the bench after overcoming a knee injury.

There was a moving tribute for Arthur Labinjo-Hughes early on in the game.

The Bluebirds started brightly as Josh Kay raced onto keeper Paul Farman’s clearance before he dragged an early effort wide.

Joe Grayson saw his finely-struck free-kick tipped past the post by Tractor Boys’ stopper Christian Walton.

Josh Gordon powered a header from the resultant corner before being flagged for offside. But it showed just how up for the job the League Two side were as they continued to knock on the door.

The hosts responded in kind as Farman was forced into a fine save to tip Scott Fraser’s sweetly-struck 25-yard strike over the bar.

And the League One outfit started to up the ante as the Bluebirds were penned into their own half.

Mark Ellis’ tame header was easily held by Walton on the half-hour mark.

The hosts continued to pile the pressure, but Cooper’s charges held firm with a brilliant block denying Macauley Bonne a tap in just before the break.

And the visitors breathed a huge sigh of relief as half-time substitute Joe Pigott powered an effort against the post after the defence was unlocked by a long ball.

Former Leeds lad Robbie Gotts’ free-kick fell kindly for Kay, who could only fire his strike over Town’s bar just before the hour mark.

Striker Offrande Zanzala was thrown on with half an hour remaining as Barrow went searching for a winner.

Dangerous Kay saw two efforts deflected for corners as the momentum shifted towards the visitors.

Connor Chaplin saw a chance go begging, after being found by Pigott, as the game entered the final ten minutes.

A frantic finish ensued as Barrow defended for their lives to force a replay.

Farman kept out Sone Aluko as the hosts went close.

And the Bluebirds were let off when Ipswich skipper Sam Morsy blasted over the bar from Bonne’s ball.

Cameron Humphreys came ever so close to sending the hosts through right at the very end, in the sixth minute of added time as he nodded Aluko’s pin-point cross against the bar.

But Barrow held firm to earn a home replay at Holker Street.