A late goal from Jason Walker earned Barrow a share of the spoils in a low quality clash between the respective Conference North and South champions.

With Barrow unbeaten in four games and Bromley having to negotiate the cross-country journey to Cumbria, overnight stay notwithstanding, it was always going to be a big ask for the ravens to come away from Holker Street with a point or more. That it took a penalty eight minutes from time to deny Bromley all three points disappointed interim manager Neil Smith but upon reflection was a well earned point all the same.

Smith had made two changes from the team that started Tuesday night’s defeat; Ali Fuseini replaced the injured Ben Chorley whilst Moses Emmanuel returned to the starting line up in place of Bradley Goldberg.

However despite the promise of a competitive encounter between the two sides, the first half was a drab affair lacking in any quality befitting the top level of the non-league pyramid. The nearest either side got to a goal in the first half was courtesy of a sharp snapshot from on loan Everton winger Michael Donohue that Alan Julian had to be at his best to turn round the post.

Nick Wilmer-Anderton also threatened on the quarter hour when his dipping volley from 25 yards flew narrowly over the bar with Julian beaten. However those two chances aside neither side really seemed able to adapt to the unpredictable bounce of the dry pitch. The rest of the half seemingly played out as a series of volleyed clearances between the respective defences as fans cried out for some creativity.

The second half followed much the same pattern until the 57th minute when Bromley took the lead completely out of the blue and with their first genuine effort on goal. Emmanuel did well to control a bouncing ball in the penalty area and lay it off to Adam Cunnington, Cunnington in a blink of an eye despatched the ball high into the net with a well struck half-volley.

The goal sent Bromley fans and players alike into raptures but most importantly of all opened up the game as Bromley pressed for a second goal to seal the win and Barrow searched for an equaliser.

Barrow top scorer Andy Cook came close to an equaliser in the 69th minute but sent his header just wide from Ritchie Suttton’s cross. That was to spark a four minute period of dominance from Bromley where they will feel they should have secured the crucial second goal.

Firstly Pierre Joseph-Dubois had his driven effort from 18 yards saved by Joel Dixon before Emmanuel capitalised on some hesitant defending from Simon Grand inside the penalty area but his scuffed effort was saved by the feet of Dixon for a corner.

From the resultant corner, Joe Anderson’s deep corner found both Jack Holland and substitute Ben May free at the back post but inexplicably neither could connect cleanly with the ball bouncing of Holland’s shoulder and cleared off the line by a combination of Barrow defenders.

Minutes later Emmanuel was to go even closer when Louis Dennis played him through and at the second attempt his Marco Van Basten-esque volley from a tight angle shaved the paint of the Barrow crossbar.

Bromley were to rue those missed opportunities as eight minutes from time, Holland got himself in a tangle with Jason Walker when defending a long ball inside the penalty area and the referee had no hesitation in pointing the spot. It was a soft penalty for Holland to give away and his reaction said as much as no Bromley player protested the decision.

That said Alan Julian will no doubt feel aggrieved at the lack of alertness from the Bromley defence as his penalty save from Walker’s effort was followed up quickest by Walker as he headed the rebound into the net.

Both sides showed keen endeavour following the goal to go and look for a winner but the closest either side came was three minutes from time. Neat interchange between Holland and Joseph-Dubois led to an opportunity for Goldberg but his drive from the edge of the area was tipped around the post by Dixon.

Bromley will next travel to playoff chasing Braintree Town on Good Friday hoping to take the positives from this performance with them.

Barrow: Dixon, Sutton, Livesey, Harvey, Wilmer-Anderton, Grand, Donohue (Haworth 68), Lacey, Williams, Cook, Tomlinson (Walker 68)

Subs not used: Pilkington, Williams, Parry

Goals: Walker 82

Bromley: Julian, Holland, Swaine, Minshull, Anderson, Francis, Joseph-Dubois, Fuseini, Gordon (Dennis 66), Cunnington (May 71), Emmanuel (Goldberg 86)

Subs not used: Coombes, Higgs

Goals: Cunnington 57

Referee: Mr Michael Salisbury

Attendance: 1123