NEW boss Stephen Clemence wants to use Barrow’s opening-day win as a catalyst for more.

Summer signing Theo Vassell got off the mark at the first attempt as his first-half effort earned the former Gillingham chief victory in his first game in charge of the club.

It was a scrappy second half as the Bluebirds kept the visitors at bay, but Clemence was pleased with his side’s first competitive showing of the campaign. 

“It’s always nice to win your first game of the season,” reflected Clemence. 

“The boys have worked ever so hard in pre-season so to get the rewards is nice for everybody.

“Since I’ve been here the boys have been fantastic, and the staff have been fantastic too. 

“It’s nice to get off to a good start, and that’s all it is. We have another game on Tuesday now, and a league game at the weekend, and we’ve got to build on this. 

“I told them afterwards in the dressing room that I would go to war with any of them if they keep performing like that.

“It wasn’t easy at the end, we didn’t create many good chances in the second half, most of them were in the first half.

“They had to grind it out. Sometimes Crewe had five or six against our back four, and that’s not easy to defend against.

“They stuck it out and won the game 1-0, so well done to them. 

“We’ve got to remember Crewe are a good side. They were one game away from playing in the division above, and I expect them to be challenging at the top end again. 

“For us to beat them on the opening day is very good. 

“There are many ways to win football matches. We pressed well in the first half, didn’t manage to do that in the second half, but we ground it out and managed to keep our clean sheet.”

Clemence’s philosophy was clear to see during their curtain raiser as the Bluebirds adopted a high press.

And the boss praised set-piece coach Jason Taylor for his role in the vital winner.

He added: “I think that’s what supporters, and especially home supporters, want to see. They want to see their team try to win the ball as near to the opponent’s goals as possible, and I’ve tried to bring that into the football club.

“The boys have to implement that, and it’s just the framework we put them in and then they have to go and do that. It’s never easy. 

“There’s a great work ethic in the group, and there has been before I got here. I saw it and played against it.

“There’s some great character, and that’s going to be needed again this season.

“We’ll be playing slightly different, but you’ve got to put in the hard yards and the boys are prepared to do that.

“There was a lot of detail in that goal, but I won’t give too much away.

“Jason Taylor does a lot of hard work on our set pieces, and he’s come up with another good one there.

“It was nice for Connor Mahoney to get an assist on his home debut, and for Theo Vassell to get his first goal for Barrow.

“It was a good opening day for us.”