Towering Frenchman Moussa Diarra gave Wrexham an early glimpse of what they were going to face at Barrow’s Holker Street ground.
Dan Jones launched a long throw into the penalty area and when Wrexham defenders failed to deal with the danger effectively and the 6ft 5ins Diarra fired home off the underside of Barrow’s bar.
He had his back to goal, but kept his composure, turned and fired into the top corner.
“It’s tough coming to Barrow,” said Wrexham manager Dean Keates after the 1-1 Vanarama National League draw.
“They have a monster of a long throw coming in and every set-piece is coming in.
“When you have got a couple of six foot five inch players in your team that is how they operate.
“We were disappointed with the first goal, but after that I thought we acquitted ourselves quite well.
“The lads defended for their lives, we won first headers and we won our second balls.
“In the first half we played well, but we were kind of sucked into the way they operate and when we did get into good areas, the final cross didn’t really give us the opportunity to scorer a winner.”
Barrow boss Ady Pennock said: Moussa is a danger at set plays. He’s a big lad and he is being a danger and more of a handful – that’s what we want him to be.”
Both goals came during the first half with Diarra netting inside two minutes, while Wrexham equalised when captain Shaun Pearson headed in from Paul Rutherford’s corner.
Wrexham made one change to his starting line-up with Mark Carrington called up for Scott Boden, who was ill.
Barrow felt they should have a penalty when French teenager Donovan Makoma fired in a cross which was blocked by the arm of Wrexham player Kevin Roberts.
Referee Peter Roberts (Merseyside) waved aside appeals, but Pennock said: “I did think it was a penalty.
“It’s hard for the referee, but when I first saw it, I just thought his arm came out towards the ball. Sometimes you win with these, sometimes you lose. He didn’t give it, but sometimes you do see them given.”
Barrow’s Bluebirds and Wrexham’s Dragons meet again on New Year’s Day when they play the return League match at the Racecourse.
Before that, though, manager Keates takes his team to Gateshead, heading north in search of a crucial win.
Wrexham have earned only one win from their last six matches, slipping to fourth place in the table and going out of the FA Trophy.
Barrow: Dixon, Bignot, MacDonald, J. Dunne, Diarra, Jones, Barthram, Makoma (Yussuf 76), Gomis, Holt (Diagne 76), Harrison (White 88). Subs not used: Audel, Panayiotou.
Wrexham: C. Dunn, Roberts, M. Smith, Pearson (Hurst 90+2), Jennings, Rutherford, Wedgbury, Carrington, Kelly (Mackreth 85), Miller (Massanka 88), Holroyd. Subs not used: Dibble, L Smith.
Referee: Peter Wright (Merseyside)
Attendance: 1,648 (258 away).
