TOM Cleverley celebrated his first Sky Bet League One victory as head coach of Plymouth Argyle after they defeated visiting Blackpool 1-0 on Saturday.

Malachi Boateng’s solo effort early in the second half proved the difference between the two sides at Home Park – and gave Cleverley a much-needed boost having seen his side lose their opening four league games.

Now, the former Watford boss wants his players to use the success as a springboard to move themselves up the table.

“I thought it was a deserved three points,” he said at full time. “I think it’s a case of we had to walk before we could run. I was never expecting that first win to be a four, five-nil demolition job. Blackpool are a good side.

“I think in two or three months’ time you see us go on to win that game two or three-nil, but we have to walk before we can run. It was a high pressure game for our players.

“There was a lot of pressure on that game that we got that first win, and I thought it was well deserved. First half probably just shaded it, second half certainly deserved the goal and I thought the players managed the game excellently.

“In the last 20 minutes we looked like a team who knew how to win. We managed the tempo, we managed it with counter attacks, we managed it with doing the basics really well, and the impact of the substitutes.

“There is a lot of people that will take confidence from that. I thought Luca [Ashby-Hammond] was fantastic. The goal wasn’t by any means peppered but every cross he looked really calm and assured, and deserves his clean sheet.”

Cleverley added: “I think this will be a real springboard. The players’ understanding of what we want seems to be there. It’s difficult to execute when maybe low on confidence.

“I thought we had a nice amount of control of the ball as well as creating chances. The only part of the game where you could say we didn't was 20 minutes before half-time. I thought we were a little bit toothless and didn't have any cutting edge to our play.

“Apart from that we showed a nice balance of taking risk as well as keeping control and that’s what we want to be about. It’s a really pleasing performance.”

Cleverley handed an immediate debut to the club’s latest signing, Swiss striker Lorent Tolaj, who sealed £1.2 million transfer to the Pilgrims from Port Vale last Friday.

Although the newcomer didn’t find the net on his first outing, Cleverley was clearly excited by what he saw from the 23-year-old.

He said: “For Tolaj to come in, he has not done a training session, not trained with the team once. To lead the line like he did, to chase lost causes, to cause two big defenders the problems he did, but mentally to not shrink after missing a big chance, we have got a real good number nine in the building now.”

Next up for Argyle in League One is Saturday’s testing trip to leaders Cardiff City, who picked up their fourth victory of the season with a 1-0 victory at Luton Town.

Chris Willock scored the only goal of the game at Kenilworth Road.