Barrow 1 Wrexham 1
On an afternoon when they created enough chances to have won half a dozen matches, Wrexham needed a 93rd minute striker from Jefferson Louis to take a point from lowly Barrow.
The Dragons were within seconds of being undone by a Boxing Day sucker punch at Holker Street until the big striker's first-time long range effort gave them the point their performance deserved.
Goalkeeper Alan Martin was Barrow's hero with a series of stunning saves to thwart the Dragons, whose double figure strikers Louis and Marc Williams had endured an agonising afternoon after they were denied time and again in a one-sidede encounter that revived memories of the trip to Kidderminster Harriers.
But unlike Aggborough, on this occasion the Dragons avoided what seemed a probable defeat after Jason Walker struck after half an hour to put the Bluebirds ahead.
Wrexham showed only one change from the side that lined up against Eastbourne Borough last weekend with Nathan Fairhurst starting in midfield as replacement for Angelos Tsiaklis, who has returned to his home in Cyprus for family reasons.
On-loan winger Jon Brown escaped unhurt from a car crash late on Christmas Eve on his way back to North Wales following a flying visit to see his family in Cardiff.
But he was given the all-clear to continue for the visitors, who created three excellent chances in a supercharged opening five minutes.
Less than two minutes had elapsed before Louis played in Williams, whose fierce shot was parried away by Martin, and from a corner Ashley Westwood's header was held by the keeper.
Martin inexplicably miscued his clearanance and found himself stranded near the penalty spot as the ball fell to Williams whose first-time lob was too heavy and cleared the crossbar.
But the home keeper more than made amends with another fine save in the 18th minute when Nathan Woolfe showed great skill on the left before crossing for Louis whose header seemed destined for the bottom corner until Martin stretched to turn it away.
The Bluebirds, who had been given little opportunity to get beyond the halfway line, turned proceedings on their head in the 29th minute when Carlos Logan seemed to be held back in the penalty area by Sam Williamson.
Although the referee turned down the penalty claims, the Dragons defence suddenly looked vulnerable and within a minute they found themselves trailing when Jason Walker outpaced a square back four to slot the ball past Gavin Ward.
It might have got even better for Barrow had Ward not been alert to a glancing header from David Brown before Wrexham began to regain their composure, but Martin continued to defy the visitors by holding an effort from the hard-working Andy Fleming.
The home side were struggling to cope with Louis and Williams, but the youngster drove another shot at the keeper, who followed that with a one-handed save to again deny Louis.
There was no let-up from the restart, with Martin's one-man show heaping further frustration on the visitors when he spread himself wide to save from Williams at the expense of a corner from which Westwood steered a header wide.
Forced to play on the break, the home side had an opening when Paul Brown found space, but Ward was equal to his first-time effort and the action returned to the other end as Wrexham made two changes.
Ryan Flynn came on for his Dragons debut at the expense of Woolfe, while Simon Spender replaced Neil Taylor and the newcomer spurned a gift opening when a blocked Williams shot fell to him in the six-yard box, Flynn somehow firing wide of a gaping net.
It was all hands to the pumps for the home side, who simply could not win or keep possession for long enough to give their defenders any respite.
But Martin and the players in front of him stuck manfully to the task, the keeper once more proving impassable when Louis was put clear by third Dragons' substitute Patrick Suffo.
And when the keeper was at last found wanting in the 83rd minute, Williams winning an aerial battle, defender Nat Kerr was well placed to clear off the line.
But justice was done in the third minute of added time when Louis, out of nowhere, produced a moment of magic to equalise with virtually the last kick of the game
Man of the match: He missed a few chances, but Marc Williams never stopped trying.
Barrow: Martin; Kerr, Jones, McNulty, Pearson; P Brown, Joyce, Boyd, Logan; Walker (Bond 89), D Brown (Tait 85). Subs:
Booked McNulty, Boyd
Wrexham: Ward: Taylor (Spender 63), Westwood, Mike Williams, Williamson; J Brown, Fleming, Fairhurst (Suffo 74), Woolfe (Flynn 63); Louis, Marc Williams. Subs: Smith, Abbott.
Booked Taylor, Westwood
Referee: P Tierney.
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