Paul Warne frustrated as MK Dons held by struggling Barrow

Paul Warne was left frustrated as his promotion-chasing MK Dons side were held to a 0-0 draw at home by strugglers Barrow.

MK Dons had the best chances in the contest. Callum Paterson saw a strike blocked on the line by Barrow defender Angus MacDonald, before Barrow keeper Wyll Stanway made a brilliant save in second-half stoppage time to keep out Joe Tomlinson.

The keeper had made further saves to deny Aaron Collins and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.

A point means MK Dons are now without a win in three games. They remain second, five points behind leaders Bromley, and just two ahead of Cambridge, Notts County and Salford.

Barrow’s fight to stay in League Two also remains a close one, with the Bluebirds one point from safety as just four points separate the league’s bottom five.

Warne voiced his frustration after the contest.

He said: “Disappointed. I didn’t think in the first half we were quick enough with our play. It felt a little bit like a testimonial and we acted like a goal was going to come sooner or later.

“We had enough chances to be handsome at half time but I just didn’t think we had enough pace in our play.

“Second half, we did, but as the clock winds down, the pressure keeps increasing and increasing. Understandably, everyone apart from those with a Barrow badge on their kit gets frustrated.

“I completely get that. If we’re going to be successful, we have to rise above that and handle the pressure.

“We got in so many times in the second half thinking this was the moment and then the ball was too high or their defender got there first.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t do enough to win it.”

Barrow interim head coach Sam Foley praised his side’s defending for holding firm against League Two’s top scorers.

He said: “It’s pleasing to come away from home and pick up a point. It’s a massive positive. It’s very good opposition and a tough place to come, and the lads deserved a point.

“We rode our luck at times but defended like absolute possessed madmen at times, which we need to be. It might have seen us go under earlier in the season, but we didn’t – we stood up, stuck our chests out and did everything we could for a point.

“We rode our luck, were deep, they threw men forward and we were defending for a lot of the game. So it can be quite energy sapping but that’s the mental resilience the lads have now got that they perhaps didn’t have earlier in the season.

“Regardless of who we’re playing, we need to pick up points. It’s a positive.”