Barrow will take their place in Monday night’s draw for the FA Cup first round but the Bluebirds will need a replay to make any further progress.

Adam Murray’s in-form side suffered a frustrating afternoon against opponents two steps lower in the non-league pyramid.

And Southern League premier division south Gloucester showed enough to suggest they can complete a giant killing act at New Meadow Park on Tuesday evening.

After sweeping past five National League teams in the past month, Barrow were firm favourites to keep up their winning run.

Instead, they finished with 10-men after substitute Mikey Lane who picked up two yellow cards; the second for an apparent dive trying to win a penalty. 

It certainly wasn’t the outcome the home fans expected. Indeed, Barrow’s recent outstanding form and cut-price admission ensured a decent crowd of 2,076, including 70 stalwarts from the South West.

The Tigers were 2-0 winners when the sides last met in 2014, the National League North fixture hosted at Cheltenham Town’s Whadden Road ground.

Gloucester arrived having endured two successive play-off final defeats and now languish fourth bottom.

However, they kicked off unbeaten in four with only one defeat in eight in all competitions.

Barrow though dominated in the opening period with Alex Reid heading wide after only four minutes.

Rekeem Harper had a shot blocked as the Bluebirds won plenty of set pieces but without delivering any quality.

They only sporadically tested keeper Sam Kane though he denied Xavier Benjamin after 24 minutes.

Barrow’s pressure was relentless but a slip by Harper allowed Gloucester to raise the siege and fashion a first decent chance.

But when Ashley Hemmings checked back onto his left foot on the edge of the penalty area, Ben Winterbottom was equal to the save.

Normal service quickly resumed and Dan Mooney, making his first start for the Bluebirds, whipped in a curling free kick which Kane turned away.

Ex Gloucester defender Ken Digie then headed wide from Mooney’s latest corner.

But the visitors carried a breakaway threat and Kian Hill’s strong run ended with a low shot Ben Winterbottom easily saved.

After the break, Harper momentarily thought he’d netted his sixth goal in successive games from Mooney’s pass after 51 minutes. But a linesman’s raised flag cut short the celebrations.

Harper though was now prominent in a more advanced position; two other surges cut short by a superb tackle and foul respectively.

Gloucester though stubbornly resisted where ex EFL defender Ben Nugent was a colossus.

Eventually, Murray had seen enough, taking off Reid and Mooney for Innes Cameron and Lane just after the hour.

But it was Gloucester’s opening sub, Ethan Dunbar, who nearly stunned the home crowd. Winterbottom and Digie struggled to clear the danger and when Williams’ cross from the right came in, Dunbar half volleyed wide.

Harper’s goal scoring streak ended after 74 minutes when he and Thierry Latty-Fairweather were replaced by Danny Amos and Arian Allen.

Cameron went close to snatching a winner three minutes later but Michael O’Regan was well placed to stop the ball going over the line with Kane beaten.

Barrow though were living dangerously and Hemmings played in Dunbar who went close again.

Despite losing Lane Barrow searched for a winner with Kane’s final save denying Thompson’s free kick deep into stoppage time.