Ollie Banks scored his first goal for the Club as Barrow earned a creditable point on home soil despite playing with ten men for much of their encounter with Bristol Rovers.
Mark Ellis’ sending-off on 31 minutes put a different complexion on proceedings and Rovers looked red-hot favourites when Sam Nicholson drove them in front just before half time.
However, Banks produced a wonderful moment of ingenuity to hook home a leveller in first half injury time and Mark Cooper’s men then dug in to claim a share of the spoils after the break.
After a scrappy start to the game, it was Barrow who managed to get a foothold and good work from Remeao Hutton by the right corner flag provided Ollie Banks with the chance to cross but his deep delivery was glanced wide at the far post by Offrande Zanzala.
Rovers came into the encounter as it wore on, with experienced front man Brett Pitman looking a threat and his goalbound header was well clawed away by Paul Farman after he got on the end of a precise cross from the right.
Aaron Collins came even closer to opening the scoring just afterwards when he decided to unload from long range with a dipping volley which landed on the roof of Farman’s net.
The game burst into life just after the half hour when a melee inside the Bluebirds penalty led to players from both sides pushing and shoving but the outcome was a red card shown to Barrow skipper Mark Ellis.
Rovers quickly began to make the most of their man advantage and Pitman could have put them in front after Harry Anderson teed him up on the edge of the box but he swept a first time shot too high.
Farman was then called into action to deny Pitman with a smart save before Collins seized on some hesitation at the back to race through on goal only to drag a shot wastefully across and wide.
However, Rovers did nudge ahead on 44 minutes when Sam Nicholson picked up the ball on the edge of the area and found space for a powerful shot which Farman did well to get a hand to but couldn’t prevent from bouncing through and into the net.
It looked as though the visitors would take their lead into the break. Then, five minutes into injury time, a long Hutton throw from the right was cleared only as far as substitute George Williams and his volley through a crowded area was skilfully flicked up and over keeper James Belshaw to level things up.
The second half started in niggly fashion, but Williams almost put Barrow in front for the first time when he decided to have a go from a free kick at least 35 yards out but Belshaw watched the swerving effort carefully and pawed it over.
Barrow built some good momentum though, roared on by a crowd fired up by a feeling of injustice on the back of the red card, and Josh Gordon almost scored a wonderful goal on the hour only to see his powerful drive from the edge of the box come back off the bar.
Farman was called into action again to pluck a goalbound header from Pitman out of the air after the Rovers’ front man had got on the end of a cross from the left.
Cooper’s men had to dig deep during the closing stages as some fatigue started to catch up with them and Farman had to make another stunning injury time save to deny Harry Anderson a winner when he headed on goal from a left-wing corner.
Full Time: Barrow 1 Bristol Rovers 1
Barrow: Farman, Hutton, Brown (Williams 45), Ellis, Grayson, Brough, White, Banks, Kay (J Jones 37), Zanzala (Ntlhe 83), Gordon.
Subs not used: Lillis, Moloney, Arthur, Taylor.
Booked: Hutton, White, Banks, Zanzala.
Sent-off: Ellis.
Bristol Rovers: Belshaw, Grant, Finley, Rodman, Anderson, Hughes, Anderton (Coutts 53), Pitman, Nicholson (Thomas 62), Collins (Saunders 78), Taylor.
Subs not used: Ward, Kilgour, Harries, Spence.
Booked: Collins, Finley.
Referee: Ross Joyce
Attendance: 2,116 (293 Bristol Rovers)