Barrow Captain MJ Williams Aims to Add Goals After Victory
MJ Williams had almost forgotten the feeling.
Nearly two years without a goal, a relegation on his record, five winless games to start the new campaign – and then, against Sutton United, the Barrow captain finally broke through.
His opener set the tone for a thumping 3-0 victory, the first win of the season and the first under summer appointment Adam Murray. The relief around Holker Street was obvious. So was the noise.
“It was a bit of a shock really but I think I’ve been due one,” Williams told BBC Radio Cumbria afterwards.
The 30-year-old does the dirty work in midfield, not the headline stuff, but this time he arrived where it hurts and made it count.
He wants more of that.
Captain looking to change his game
Williams has never been known for his goals. He knows it. He sounds determined to change it.
“It is something I have always wanted to do is add goals but sometimes I don’t find myself in the right positions,” he admitted.
That is starting to shift under Murray’s regime.
Barrow have put serious hours into set-pieces. Routines. Runs. Starting positions. The kind of detail that turns a holding midfielder into a threat inside the box.
“We work a lot on set-pieces, so I am finding myself in better positions now,” Williams said. “It is a massive part of our game and I want to add more goals to my game and hopefully I can this season.”
One goal will not define him. But it might just unlock something.
Healing after relegation
For Barrow, this was more than three points. It was a small step away from the hangover of last season’s drop from League Two, a campaign that scarred players and supporters alike.
“It has been tough for the fans, I’ve never wanted it to be like that, obviously going on from last season,” Williams said. “They have been through some tough times, as the club has, and to have that moment with them at the end of the game was massive.”
Murray has pushed hard on that bond between pitch and stands. Togetherness has been a theme from day one.
“Since the gaffer has come in, he has spoken about wanting to be all together and have that connection with the fans,” Williams added. Performances, he feels, have deserved more than the early league table suggested. Against Sutton, the scoreline finally matched the effort.
“To get that 3-0 win and have the scenes at the end was brilliant for all of us.”
Long road, big test
There is no time to bask in it. Barrow now face a long haul to the south coast and a tricky tie at Worthing, where Woodside Road awaits and excuses are banned.
“We all know it is a long journey but it is a massive game for us,” Williams said. “It will be a big week for us, we need to go there and put on a good performance. There are no excuses in this game, we will get down there, prepare right and go there with confidence after that first win we have had.”
That confidence has been in short supply. So has that simple, underrated joy of a winning weekend.
“The feeling around the team has been brilliant this week,” he said. “When you are not winning it is tough but to wake up on a Sunday knowing you have won on a Saturday is a bit of a relief. Last season we didn’t have many of those feelings and it is not nice in football to be coming in when you are not winning.”
The challenge now is clear. Sutton cannot be a one-off.
“This week has been brilliant for all of us,” Williams said, “but it is important now that we get back on it on Saturday and get a massive three points.”
One goal ended a drought. One win eased the tension. The real question is whether Barrow and their captain can turn that into a habit.
