Barrow Captain MJ Williams Breaks Goal Drought in 3-0 Victory
MJ Williams had almost forgotten the feeling.
Nearly two years without a goal, a club reeling from relegation, five league games gone without a win – Barrow’s captain chose a good moment to break the spell.
His opener in the 3-0 victory over Sutton United did more than put the Bluebirds in front. It cracked open the tension that had been hanging over Holker Street since last season and handed new boss Adam Murray his first win since taking charge in the summer.
By full-time, the mood had flipped. From anxious to jubilant in 90 minutes.
Captain’s touch, captain’s timing
Williams is not in the side to score goals. At 30, he has built a career on discipline, structure and doing the unfussy work that lets others take the headlines. But when the ball fell his way on Saturday, instinct and repetition took over.
“It was a bit of a shock really but I think I’ve been due one,” he told BBC Radio Cumbria. The honesty summed him up. No big declarations, just a quiet admission that this was something he had long wanted to add to his game.
He has been working on it. Barrow have leaned heavily into set-pieces under Murray, drilling routines, roles and positions. Williams has started to arrive in more dangerous areas, not just hanging back as the insurance policy.
“We work a lot on set-pieces, so I am finding myself in better positions now. It is a massive part of our game and I want to add more goals to my game and hopefully I can this season,” he said.
On Saturday, that work paid off. One chance, one finish, and the dam burst.
Healing a bruised crowd
The goal mattered. The win mattered more.
Relegation from League Two left scars. Barrow stumbled into this campaign and, by Williams’ own admission, the atmosphere had grown heavy. Five games without a victory will do that to any dressing room, never mind one still carrying the weight of a drop.
“It has been tough for the fans, I’ve never wanted it to be like that, obviously going on from last season,” he 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.”
Those scenes at full-time – players and supporters celebrating together – felt like more than a routine early-season win. They felt like a reset. A reminder that this group and this fanbase are supposed to be pulling in the same direction.
Since Murray walked through the door, that connection has been a clear priority.
“Since the gaffer has come in, he has spoken about wanting to be all together and have that connection with the fans, and I think in some of our performances we have deserved more from games,” Williams said. “To get that 3-0 win and have the scenes at the end was brilliant for all of us.”
The scoreline backed him up. A clean sheet, three goals, and – finally – something tangible to show for the work.
Long road, big week
Now comes the test: turning one cathartic afternoon into a platform.
Barrow head to Worthing this weekend, a long trip to Woodside Road that Williams has already circled as “a massive game for us”. The mileage is no excuse. Not now. Not after the lift they’ve just been given.
“We all know it is a long journey but it is a massive game for us,” he 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.”
The change in mood has been obvious inside the camp. Winning does that.
“The feeling around the team has been brilliant this week. 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,” Williams admitted. “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.”
Relief, though, is only useful if it sharpens the focus rather than softens it.
“This week has been brilliant for all of us,” he added, “but it is important now that we get back on it on Saturday and get a massive three points.”
One long-awaited goal. One long-awaited win. The question now is whether Barrow and their captain can turn a single spark into a sustained surge.
