Everton youngster scores a cracking winner

Everton’s on-loan midfielder Joe Williams has sparkled for Barnsley this season playing in the pivot position ahead of the backline, and the only thing missing from his repertoire has been goals.

Manager Paul Heckingbottom has often sung praises of the youngster’s work ethic and tireless nature, and last night against Burton he finally got his first goal for the Tykes with an incredible finish to give his side the lead late in the game.

"I was just about to let him have one to be fair, shooting with his left foot from there.

"It was the first real moment of quality in the game if I am honest. It was a war of attrition up until then."

With the Championship fixture finely poised at 2-2 and just over a quarter of an hour to go, Burton cleared a cross straight down the middle where Williams controlled the ball with his chest, and then smashed a simply unstoppable volley into the top corner of the net, with the ball dipping wickedly under the bar and the goalkeeper nowhere near it.

The Barnsley commentator just about lost his mind at the goal, and if you don’t believe us, here, have a listen.

The 20-year-old’s wonder-strike has certainly caught the attention of the Championship with buzz being generated around it for ‘Goal of the Season’ candidate already.

Despite the win though, Barnsley have struggled this season on both sides of the pitch and will need more from all players to climb out of the lower reaches of the table. Williams for his part has been averaging a 77.5% passing accuracy, 3.9 long balls and 0.9 key passes per game. Defensively, he’s getting 2.9 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 2.9 clearances and 0.7 blocks per game in his 14 Championship matches so far.

He’s shown his knack for long-distance shots previously too, scoring this amazing goal for the Everton Under-21s in January 2016.

Meanwhile, for Everton fans suffering a miserable season of their own, it is good to know that the future of the club seems to be safe with prospects coming up through the system.