A few weeks ago Barrow might have expected a final day home draw with promoted Mansfield Town would be enough to see them into the play-offs.
But the Bluebirds end-of-season collapse has seen them dramatically miss out on the chance of promotion as they went into the game needing to win it.
Locking horns with the Stags proved a tough task, especially after Nigel Clough’s team went ahead after only 16 minutes and in the end the 1-1 draw wasn’t enough.
Promoted Mansfield thwarted Barrow’s bid for a first ever appearance in the EFL play-offs as the sides played out a 1-1 League Two draw at Holker Street.
George Maris had fired the visitors ahead and they were the sharper side in the first half.
But in a do-or-die, kitchen sink job in the second-half Barrow were the better team yet they couldn’t grab the victory they so desperately needed.
Mansfield keeper Christy Pym did really well to keep out a free kick from the edge of the area by Kian Spence’. But it was Spence who offered Barrow hope when he cracked home a great shot on 58 minutes after some good work by Sam Foley.
It was very tense all around the ground, never mind the pitch, and it looked as though Dean Campbell might have notched an important second goal only to be denied by Pym.
Mansfield were under pressure for most of the second half but they defended solidly, limiting the opportunities for Barrow. However the damage wasn’t done in this game. It had happened throughout the month when the Bluebirds failed to win any of their seven games in April.
