Barrow will go into Tuesday’s derby clash at Carlisle down to ninth in League Two and two points off the play-offs.
They went down 2-0 at home to Northampton Town who were ending a run of back to back defeats.
A draw would have cost the Cobblers a place in the play-off places to rejuvenated Carlisle United.
But two second-half goals from Ben Fox and substitute Shaun McWilliams saw Northampton through to what, in the end, was a deserved win.
They were completing a League double to Barrow who have not won at home since November 19 and this was their fourth successive defeat at Holker.
Fox had a simple task in tapping in his third goal of the season from close range after 54 minutes when a free-kick from Sam Hoskins had been flicked on by. Louis Appere.
There were only five minutes left when Hoskins had a low shot saved by home goalkeeper Paul Farman, but he couldn’t hold it and McWilliams was first there to fire home the loose ball.
