SAM Foley marked his first league start of the season with a goal as Barrow maintained their fine start to the season with a first away victory at Grimsby since 1967.

Foley and Theo Vassell struck inside the opening 26 minutes as the Bluebirds made a fast start a Blundell Park.

Kieran Green got the Mariners back into the game before the visitors made it successive wins on the road for the first time since December.

And a fourth win from their opening six games fired Stephen Clemence’s side into third, level on points with the boss’s former club Gillingham, and a point behind Notts County.

Clemence made three changes as Wyll Stanway replaced the suspended Paul Farman in goal, whilst Rory Feely came in for Neo Eccleston at right-back for the trip to the Humber coast.

The Bluebirds started brightly and almost scored one of the quickest Football League goals of the season as Ged Garner headed straight at Jake Eastwood inside the first 15 seconds.

Garner continued to threaten in the early exchanges as he fired a low strike wide of the mark in the eighth minute.

But the visitors took a deserved lead on the quarter of an hour mark through Foley.

The Irish veteran, who only just came back onto the pitch after receiving treatment on the sidelines, grabbed his first league goal since March as he nodded home Ben Jackson’s corner. 

And within a blink of an eye Jackson almost got himself on the scoresheet with a dazzling solo goal.

The former Huddersfield Town youngster skipped his way past three defenders and forced Eastwood into a good stop before Garner fluffed his lines as he put the follow up wide.

It was another delicious Jackson set-piece delivery which doubled Clemence’s charges lead with Vassell the man to head home this time around in the 26th minute.

Barrow turned defence into attack in a matter of moments as Elliot Newby was denied by Eastwood after being played through by Garner.

The Mariners picked themselves up on the stroke of half-time.

Stanway did well to keep out former Barrow man Tyrell Warren’s deflected effort.

But he was beaten in the third minute of stoppage time as Kieran Green halved the deficit with a timely header.

The hosts thought they had level minutes into the second half before Danny Rose’s effort was chalked off for offside.

Denver Hume came close to restoring parity when his effort whizzed past the post.

Newby could had wrapped up the points with 15 minutes to go as he rattled the post after being kept out by Eastwood.

David Artell threw the kitchen sink to try and snatch something out of the game late on with a triple substitution. 

But Clemence’s Bluebirds expertly saw out the game to secure another fine three points.