By Daniel List

Darlington were held to a 1-1 draw by a spirited Barrow side at Holker Street on Monday night.

A controversial night saw two penalties, a red card, a goal disallowed and another not awarded but Darlo couldn't do enough to take all three points.

Mark Cooper made one change to the side that beat Gateshead, bringing in Chris Senior for Liam Hatch who missed out with an ankle injury.

Darlo started much the brighter and could have been ahead inside the opening two minutes but Jamie Chandler could only tamely head Paul Arnison's cross over the bar.

Darlington haven't had the best of luck with injuries so far this season and their injury woes struck again when Tommy Wright limped off after 22 minutes to be replaced by Richard Offiong.

Neither side could really grab control of what was a scrappy first half hour but it would be the home side who would go closest. Mark Boyd gained control in the midfield and drove toward the Darlo box but his vicious strike was deflected wide by Danny Hone.

Barrow could have opened the scoring from the resulting corner when the Darlington defence switched off leaving Joe Clarke marking two men but Jason Walker could only scuff his effort wide.

Quakers were creating little from open play but remained a constant threat from set pieces throughout the first half. Aaron Brown's corners offered Darlo a number of opportunities, the best falling to Joe Clarke but he could only head over under little pressure.

The visitors began to raise the tempo towards the end of the second half with Gary Smith first having an effort blocked before finally testing Alan Martin from the edge of the area.

Barrow looked unsettled and were on the ropes waiting for the half time whistle. It didn't come though and a pacey Offiong breakaway was abruptly ended inside the area by Phil Bolland for a Darlington penalty.

After bagging two from the spot in pre-season Paul Arnison stepped up confidently but his poor effort was saved by Martin who then miraculously saved Michael Smith's rebound as the hosts maintained parity at the break.

Cooper sent his team out five minutes early for the start of the second period, a sign that he was not impressed with a drab first half showing. Despite an early attack that saw Danny Forrest shoot wide for Barrow he got a response from Quakers, the visitors dominating the opening minutes.

They came close to breaking the deadlock after Gary Smith was felled by Bolland on the edge of the Barrow area. Smith dusted himself down to send a free kick destined for the corner of the home net only to be denied brilliantly by Martin at full stretch.

Martin would come to his side's rescue again moments later. After some impressive hold up play by Michael Smith, he found his namesake Gary who was denied by Martin yet again diving low to his left.

There would be nothing the Barrow 'keeper could do to stop Darlington taking the lead on 62 minutes. Gary Smith released Michael Smith down the Darlington right. The young forward got to the byline before cutting back behind the onrushing defenders for Paul Terry to score for the second time in as many games.

Barrow were rocked by the goal and could easily have been down to ten men moments later. A long ball from Arnison saw the diminutive Chris Senior ghost in behind Paul Jones only for the Barrow skipper to bundle him to the ground on the edge of the area with the referee offering a lenient yellow card.

The hosts had their fair share of possession but threatened little until Simon Whiles got the better of Aaron Brown on the Barrow right before driving into the Darlington box where he was clumsily brought down by Brown for a penalty.

Jason Walker made no mistake from the spot, sending Sam Russell the wrong way to level the scores.

Despite two penalties already, the controversy was just beginning. Shortly after the leveller, the travelling supporters were up in arms claiming they were wrongly denied a goal. Alan Martin fumbled a tame Paul Terry shot only to recover the ball on the line. He was then forced well over the line by Michael Smith with the ball in his hands but it should surely have been a foul on the goalkeeper with Smith kicking at the ball in Martin's hands.

If Darlo fans were feeling hard done to then it was the turn of the home fans a couple of minutes later. Barrow had the ball in the back of the Darlington net only for the goal to be flagged offside. With seven players still celebrating a goal that wasn't, Darlo attacked in numbers searching for one that was and should have done a lot better, Josh Gray dribbled down the left but his tame centre was easily cut out.

Quakers pressed into the last ten minutes, searching for the goal that would send them home with three points but it wouldn't come. A dangerous ball across the face of goal from Gray was refused the appropriate response by Quakers forwards as the draw increasingly looked the most likely result.

The only action of the final few minutes would come off the ball as Paul Jones, perhaps lucky to still be on the pitch, was finally given his marching orders for striking Gary Smith off the ball two minutes from time.

Neither side could force the issue enough as the referee blew for full time and an unfavourable reaction from both sets of supporters.

Matchfacts
Goals: Terry, 62; Walker, 73
Bookings: Owen, 37; Bolland 61; G Smith, 64; Jones, 67
Sent off: Jones, 88
Barrow: Martin; Spender, Jones, Bolland, Edwards; Wiles, Boyd (M Pearson 90), Hulbert Owen; Forrest (Cook 66), Walker.
Unused: S Pearson, Sheridan, Nicholas
Darlington: Russell, Arnison, Chandler, Wright (Offiong, 22), Senior (J Gray, 70), M Smith, Hone, G Smith, Terry, Clarke, Brown.
Unused: Jack, P Gray, Main.
Attendance: 1,718 (175 Darlington)