Avro manager Alex Frost was ‘extremely happy’ with three points on the opening day of the season as Liam Ellis’ close-range second-half strike was enough to seal a 1-0 success at Northwich Victoria.

“I think all that any manager wants in the first game is a win, and overall I think our lads followed the game plan almost perfectly, so it is always pleasing when that gets you the result,” said Frost. “We set up to frustrate, be hard to beat and keep a clean sheet and obviously we achieved that.”

But the former Ashton United defender was quick to point out there are still areas in which his side can improve going forward.

He added: “On the ball we’ve got lots to work on; our decision making, our sharpness of thought, but these are things that will improve with games and as we continue to work hard on the training field.”

Northwich had plenty of possession over the 90 minutes but did not create too many clear-cut chances, a statistic which pleased Frost.

He said: “We had them watched a couple of times in pre-season, so we knew that they were well-organised and liked to play football. But I think overall we were worthy winners, we had the better chances and thankfully we took one of them.”

When the visiting defence was breached, experienced keeper Grant Shenton made a couple of crucial saves to ensure the game remained scoreless before Ellis’ decisive intervention. He was one of five players making their Avro debut, with another of the new faces, Adam Owen, providing the assist for the only goal, and Frost was delighted with the trio.

“Grant was a standout performer today, he did not have a lot to do but he made some great stops, and I don’t think you will find a harder working centre forward than Liam Ellis in this division with the quality that he brings to that lone striker role as well,” Frost said.

The only downside of an otherwise excellent afternoon was the groin injury which Ellis picked up near the end, which rules him out of tonight’s trip to Winsford United.

“He will be a big miss for us,” admitted Frost. “But we have a good squad to cover exactly these situations.”