Barrow 0, Sutton 0

DOMINANT Barrow were forced to settle for a point against Sutton United.

Pete Wild’s Bluebirds had a chance to cut the gap between themselves and the League Two play-off places to just two points at Holker Street.

But they failed to break down a Matt Gray side, which have become the toughest team to beat in the division.

It was a real battle of a game between two sides bidding to force their way closer to the coveted top seven.

Barrow had the better of the chances, with Paul Farman having a quiet afternoon in between the hosts’ posts.

The positives are the Bluebirds have gone five league games without defeat for the first time since returning to the Football League.

But they will be left with a sense of wanting more after dominating the game.

Sutton have made a living of being physical and hard to break down and so it transpired as they went a ninth game without defeat, with only one loss in their last 14.

The Bluebirds started brightly and had the best of the early chances in front of their faithful home fans.

Wild’s hosts had a huge chance to open the scoring just ten minutes into proceedings.

Loanee Jake Young was denied a first goal for the club as Sutton stopper Jack Rose produced a great save to tip his strike past the post.

And the hosts went close moments later as Billy Waters headed wide at the back post with the goal gaping.

Young ended an entertaining opening 15 minutes as he fired wide of the mark.

But Wild’s charges had nothing to show for their dominance in the early exchanges.

Patrick Brough and Young both had shots that failed to work Rose in the visitor’s net.

And the home fans were incensed when huge shouts for a penalty, when the ball apparently struck Omar Bugiel on the arm, were turned down on the half-hour mark.

Winger David Ajiboye let rip from the edge of the box, but Farman easily watched his strike sail over the crossbar.

The half ended how it started as Young was again frustrated by Rose on the stroke of the break as the keeper pushed his effort away from danger as the visiting fans breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Dangerous Young continued to threaten in the second half.

The Bluebirds’ bright spark saw his strike blocked, but his dazzling run had the vocal fans on their feet.

Barrow again saw appeals for a spot kick waved away after Ben Whitfield went down inside the box.

The hosts would have been forgiven for thinking it just wouldn’t be their day when Ben Whitfield’s ball across the face of goal evaded a team-mate as the game entered the final half an hour.

Wild threw the kitchen sink at Gray’s side with a triple substitution with less than 20 minutes left.

Top scorer Josh Gordon’s header scratched the varnish of the post, but the offside flag was quickly up.

The Bluebirds continued to huff and puff, but Sutton held on for a point.