HOPES of Harrogate Town surfacing from the dog-fight that will be the Conference North play-offs could hinge on eliminating a home hex.

The club's Wetherby Road hoodoo continued when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Barrow, who returned to Cumbria celebrating their first ever-point from a trip to Harrogate.

As it was most of Town's fellow play-off contenders slipped to defeat, so the point won was in the end a point gained, but Neil Aspin's men will have to shrug off their home malaise if they are to be successful when the play-offs' sharp-edged business kicks in next month.

Town had early chances to score notably Danny Holland smashing a rising shot against the bar after a superb solo run.

Finally the home reward arrived seven minutes before half-time when a Darren Dunning drive was diverted past his own goalkeeper by Barrow skipper Paul Jones.

However, a second-half miss by Dunning proved costly when Nick Rogan headed in a 63rd-minute leveller for Barrow.