STEPHEN Clemence apologised to the travelling Barrow fans after his first taste of Cumbrian derby football ended in defeat at Carlisle.

The Bluebirds have won just one of their last 15 EFL games against their rivals since a 1-0 victory back in 1959. 

And with defeat at Brunton Park, the club are still searching for their first win on the road since last December. 

“It’s a very difficult one to take at the moment,” admitted Clemence.

“There’s been a huge turnout from the fans, and I’ve got to thank them. We know how much this game means to our supporters. 

“We really wanted to get them a result, and I can only apologise to them that we haven’t, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort.

“I could hear our supporters all afternoon. I thought they were absolutely fantastic, and I thank them for their support.

“We’ve got to dust ourselves down and get ready for the fixture when they come back to us and make sure we get the bragging rights then.”

The nature of the derby meant it was a nip-and-tuck affair with neither side wanting to give the other an inch in the League Two early kick-off.

Bournemouth loanee Dan Adu-Adjei got the decisive strike in the first half.

Andy Dallas briefly thought he had stolen a share of the spoils in stoppage time before his effort was agonisingly ruled out for offside.

When asked about his substitutions when chasing the game, Clemence said: “We were in the game. I thought our final ball wasn’t quite as good as it has been, but we were getting into the right areas.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t take advantage of that. I’m always thinking ahead, once I make my first substitution you know where you’re going if that doesn’t work. You don’t want to go too early, and leave yourselves wide open.

“I really believed we would get a chance. We did get that chance right at the end of the game, and unfortunately it was ruled out for offside.

“We played the same system in the last game, and scored three, and could have had five or six.

“Derby games are always tight at every level. This was no different.

“I would like to have created more in the second half, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

The fixture computer has not been the kindest to the Bluebirds with a tough start to the season.

They scored a fine victory over play-off finalists Crewe on the opening day and won a five-goal thriller against Port Vale in the first round of the EFL Cup before derby-day defeat on Saturday.

Clemence’s charges host Vale again next weekend and he added: “We've played the play-off finalists from last year, Port Vale in the cup who have just come down, and we’ve just played Carlisle who have just come down.

“These are good opponents. We’ve come out on the right side in two of them and the wrong side in this one.

“The players gave it their all. I just wanted a tight game, and unfortunately, we’ve come out on the wrong side of it. 

“The boys are in a good place. I don’t think they didn’t turn up it was just a tight game which we’ve come out the wrong side of.”