Sean McConville grabbed his first Accrington Stanley goal of the season but Barrow scored a late equaliser at the Wham Stadium.
John Coleman kept the same starting line-up from the weekend to face the Bluebirds, who they last played in the Football League in the ill-fated 1961/62 season where Stanley resigned from the league.
The two sides last met in a 'league' encounter in the UniBond Premier League in 2002 although they have faced each other in the EFL Trophy since then.
It was an even game with few chances in the first half.
Kelvin Mellor had a strike over the bar for Stanley early on while Jamie Proctor played a ball across the face of goal which was pushed away by Toby Savin.
Proctor headed over the bar for the Bluebirds on 33 minutes.
Stanley took the lead in the 36th minute with the first shot on target for either side. Tommy Leigh’s cross found the head of Jay Rich-Baghuelou who headed the ball down, the ball deflected off a Barrow player and McConville was there to tap it over the line for his first goal of the campaign.
Barrow pressed after with Proctor’s deflected effort just wide while Gerard Garner fired narrowly over the bar just before the break.
Shaun Whalley came on at half-time for Stanley and the Reds started on the attack, a Leigh free-kick narrowly wide.
Pete Wild put on two Barrow substitutes on 53 minutes and Sam Foley wasn’t far off getting a clear header on goal a few minutes later.
The second half was more action-packed as both sides looked for a vital goal but shots at goal were at a premium.
The Bluebirds enjoyed a spell of pressure, putting a lot of balls into the box, without testing Savin.
Korede Adedoyin came on for the injured Seamus Conneely on 69 minutes and felt he should have had a penalty for a push in the box.
Then two Barrow substitutes combined for the equaliser in the 87th minute when Junior Tiensia fed Emile Acquah in the box and he fired the ball into the far corner of the net.
Stanley: Savin, Mellor (Whalley), Hills, Rich-Baghuelou, Quirk, Coyle, Conneely (Adedoyin), McConville (Pickles), Leigh, Nolan (Longelo), Andrews.
Subs: Isherwood, Lowe, Woods.
Yellow: Hills, Adedoyin.
Attendance: 2204 (516 from Barrow)