Barrow will host Ipswich Town in an FA Cup Second Round replay after the two sides played out a goalless draw at the first attempt at Portman Road on Saturday.

The Bluebirds were well worth the result too, having given a good account of themselves during the hard-fought encounter in which neither side were able to find a decisive moment.

There was a lively start to the game with both sides looking to get on the ball and move it quickly and Barrow showed no signs of being intimidated by their higher division opponents.

Indeed, it was The Bluebirds who began to carve out the early chances. Josh Kay timed his run well to latch on to Paul Farman’s long clearance before cutting inside dangerously from the right only to drag his shot wide of the near post.

Kay again almost opened up the Town defence as he brilliantly dummied a ball forward to outwit home defender Toto Nsiala and charge towards goal, but the Ipswich man recovered just in time to block Kay’s shot.

Barrow kept on applying pressure though and Joe Grayson forced keeper Christian Walton into a full-length fingertip save down to his left after the Bluebirds defender whipped a 25-yard free kick over the wall. Josh Gordon crashed a header against the post from the resultant corner, although the flag was up against the front man.

There was a sense of frustration growing on the terrace, but the Town fans were almost on their feet when Scott Fraser heeded their pleas to shoot from 25-yards and his powerful drive was excellently helped over the bar by Farman.

That moment provoked a period of Town pressure when they slung a few balls into the Barrow box, but Mark Cooper’s men looked in determined mood and kept on repelling their hosts’ attacks.

Mark Ellis then had a decent chance to test Walton when he got free inside the area to meet Connor Brown’s right-wing cross, but the centre-back didn’t make a clean connection with the header and his effort dropped harmlessly into the arms of the keeper.

Grayson then had to show his defensive prowess when he stretched to divert a dangerous low cross away from goal with Town marksman Macauley Bonne stood ready to pounce right behind him.

Ipswich boss Paul Cook made a change at half time, introducing Joe Pigott from the bench, and the front man could have made an almost immediate impact when Barrow failed to deal with a long ball forward and Pigott cracked a low shot off the post.

Barrow then had a chance to open the scoring just before the hour mark when Robbie Gotts’ teasing free kick from the left evaded keeper Walton and dropped kindly for Kay, but he could only prod a shot over the bar.

Cooper’s men grew into the second half and Kay almost put them in front when he let fly from long-range but his shot picked up a deflection and flashed wide of Walton’s post.

Kay was again close moments later when Patrick Brough’s dangerous cross from the left was only partially cleared and Kay again unloaded only to see another deflection send his effort wide.

Offrande Zanzala was introduced and his driving run in the final minute of normal time had Town’s defence backing off only for the ball to break kindly for Sone Aluko to storm clear on the counterattack before sending a low drive on goal which was easily held by Farman down to his left.

Town skipper Sam Morsy then had a chance to win it deep into stoppage time after good work on the right from Aluko but he lashed a wild effort over the bar.

Then there was drama in the final seconds when Cameron Humphreys’ header struck the bar as The Bluebirds hung on to set up a replay back at The Dunes Hotel Stadium.

Full Time: Ipswich Town 0 Barrow 0

Ipswich Town: Walton, Fraser, El Mizouni (Pigott 46), Bonne, Jackson (Aluko 74), Chaplin (Humphreys 84), Nsiala, Burgess, Clements, Donacien, Morsy.
Subs not used: Hladky, Harper, Evans, Vincent-Young, Carroll, Alexander.

Booked: Chaplin, Morsy.

Barrow: Farman, Brown, J Jones, Ellis, Grayson, Brough, Banks (Taylor 92), White (Zanzala 62), Gotts, Kay (Stevens 86), Gordon.
Subs not used: Lillis, Hutton, Arthur, Beadling, M Jones, James.

Booked: Brown.

Referee: Sam Purkiss

Attendance: 6,425 (205 Barrow)