Barrow 2, Lincoln 2
(Barrow lose 3-1 on penalties)

Barrow suffered penalty shootout heartbreak after being on the cusp of the Carabao Cup third round for only the third time in the club’s history.

Substitute Ben Whitfield looked to have sent the Bluebirds through with an 87th-minute goal. But Jordan Garrick forced a spot kick shootout in the second minute of stoppage time.

Whitfield netted his penalty but Jordan Wright saved superbly from Josh Gordon, Patrick Brough and Robbie Gotts to send the Imps through.

Barrow’s defeat was also their first at Holker Street this season and manager Pete Wild will need to pick his team up for Saturday’s tip to AFC Wimbledon.

A year earlier, Holker Street was packed to the rafters for the visit of Aston Villa.

A more modest crowd of 3,011 attended for the visit of Mark Kennedy’s Imps, though not expecting a repeat of that 6-0 score line.

Wild’s latest starting line-up included two debutants, Solomon Nwabuokei and striker David Moyo.

Lincoln, who kicked off 17th in League One, made four changes from the side humbled 4-0 by Peterborough last weekend.

And the visitors soon showed their divisional superiority, dominating possession and then striking an eighth minute leader through dangerman Anthony Scully.

Accepting Teddy Bishop’s pass, Scully cut inside and curled in a delightful right-foot shot beyond ex-Lincoln goalie, Paul Farman for his third goal of the campaign.

Barrow retaliated by winning their first corner via Rooney’s superb pass and Stevens’ cross.

City cleared their lines, but Barrow levelled minutes later. Brough’s free kick for a foul on Billy Waters fell invitingly for debutant David Moyo who stabbed in an equaliser from six yards.

The Imps were rattled, and TJ Eyoma and Lasse Sorensen were booked in quick succession.

Moyo went close to doubling his tally after 22 minutes, heading fractionally over after Scully’s poor pass was seized upon by Stevens.

Another error, this time by Eyoma, let in Waters and Jordan Wright did well to smother the chance.

Waters then shrugged off struggling Eyoma, forced another save by Wright only for Mojo to miss a sitter when the rebound presented itself.

The Imps’ keeper was far the busier of the two goalies and he acrobatically denied Rooney’s 20-yard effort in first half stoppage time.

When called upon, Farman reacted smartly to palm away Charley Kendall’s angled low shot.

Barrow made the first change after 52 minutes, taking off central defender Sam McClelland, introducing newcomer Myles Kenlock and switching Tyrell Warren from full-back to the middle of the back four.

Harrison Neal quickly followed for the impressive Solomon Nwabuokei as Lincoln also made two changes to try and break the stalemate.

And with 20 minutes remaining Wild brought on Gotts, Gordon and Whitfield for Rooney, Moyo and Stevens completing his substitution options.

Chances had been fewer in the second half but Kendall should have done better with a 77th minute chance after Canavan failed to control.

Then came the late drama with Whitfield firing Barrow into the lead and Jordan Garrick equalising in the second minute of stoppage time.

Barrow fans hoped they could reprise the last round penalty success at Blackpool but keeper Wright was Lincoln’s hero.