Joe Pritchard fired home his sixth goal of the season and Jack Nolan hit the crossbar in added time as Accrington Stanley's final game of 2023 ended all-square at in-form Barrow.

The Reds bounced back after losing to Harrogate Town on Boxing Day and came so close a win but remain in ninth place in League Two.

The Bluebirds are now unbeaten in 14 League Two games and remain just outside the automatic promotion places.

Pritchard missed the Harrogate loss but returned for the injured Tommy Leigh for the clash at Holker Street, where Barrow are unbeaten in the league.

In awful wet and windy conditions,cBarrow put a couple of early balls into the box but the first save came on five minutes as Shaun Whalley tested Bluebirds stopper Paul Farman with a low shot.

Nolan fired off target while Pritchard played a great ball into Josh Woods in the area but the Barrow defence got back to cover.

Just after the 30-minute mark, a Pritchard free kick wasn’t far off as Stanley enjoyed the early chances.

Elliot Newby had a strike deflected towards the end of the half in Barrow’s best chance.

Pete Wild made three half-time substitutions but Stanley had the first chance as Ben Woods fired just over the crossbar from his own half from the kick-off.

But then Barrow pressed as one of the subs Ben Whitfield forced two strong saves out of QPR loan keeper Joe Walsh.

And, as they forced the pace, the ball came out to Whitfield just inside the area on 53 minutes and he curled the ball into the top of the net. It was his sixth goal in six games.

Barrow continued to press but didn’t test Walsh before Stanley equalised on 71 minutes.

Josh Woods charged down the left in a counter attack and he passed to Whalley who put Pritchard clean through and, with only Farman to beat, the capatain slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

Pritchard suffered an injury on 83 minutes and Alex Henderson came on to replace him.

Both sides went for the win and the Reds came so close as Nolan got the ball on the left and rifled in a strike which came back off the woodwork as it ended all-square – as it did at the Wham Stadium earlier in the campaign.

Stanley: Walsh, Shipley, Gubbins, Hills, O’Brien, B Woods, Martin, Nolan, Pritchard (Henderson), Whalley, J Woods.

Subs: McIntyre, Mellor, McConville, Pickles, Adekoya, Trickett

Yellow: Whalley, Martin, Gubbins, B Woods, Shipley, J Woods

Crowd: 3549 (347 from ASFC)