Andy Whing says victory over Grimsby a ‘fantastic start’ to Barrow tenure

Jan 25, 2025 2 min read
Andy Whing applauds the fans (PA)
Andy Whing applauds the fans (PA)

New Barrow boss Andy Whing hailed a “fantastic start” to his tenure at the club after a 3-0 win over Grimsby.

Goals from Robbie Gotts, Tyler Smith and Theo Vassell earned Whing victory in his first game in management in the English Football League.

Aaron Pressley’s missed penalty was the only mark on the copy book at Holker Street.

It was a first victory in 2025 for the Bluebirds, who had won just one in 15 league games ahead of hosting the Mariners.

Whing, who replaced Stephen Clemence after he was sacked last weekend, beamed: “I thought we were outstanding.

“It’s a fantastic start, I don’t think it can get any better really.

“I think the game plan work extremely well. I know we gave up possession a little bit, but I watched a few of their recent games and teams have pressed them and opened them up a little bit.

“We wanted to have a good solid foundation, given the way we have been recently.

“We were clinical when we needed to be.

“I thought we were a bit anxious on the ball in the first half. We need to be better on the ball.

“I think we lacked a little bit of belief. It’s totally understandable given the position we’ve been in.

“We got better and better in the second half. We saw the game out really well. Got a clean sheet. Looked dangerous from set-pieces so all in all, I’m really pleased.

“We’ve got some good footballers in this team and we work our absolute socks off.

“If we’re winning games like them and we haven’t had the ball then so be it.”

The Mariners slumped to a fourth straight defeat on the road and barely landed a glove on the Bluebirds, who were at a low ebb heading into the contest.

Dejected Grimsby boss David Artell said: “Our standards have slipped below from set-pieces the last couple of games and that’s cost us.

“You’ve got to want to head the ball. They’re a big team, got some big players, but that doesn’t mean you’ve got to concede two goals to set-pieces.

“I’ve said to the players before the game if they don’t concede from set-pieces then we’ll win the game.

“We end up empty-handed and it ends up being a poor result. We had lots of the ball, but didn’t do enough with it.

“We’ve been beaten by a team who didn’t want to attack. That’s not a criticism of them, that’s their game and we’ve succumbed to one transition and two set-pieces.

“We’ve not created enough or scored. That’s ultimately the difference in games, it’s what happens in both boxes.

“We’ve made undeniable progress. But we’ve not cracked it. We know where we are and exactly where we are. There’s lots of work in progress.”

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