After scoring what was arguably the best goal of Barrow AFC’s season on Monday, wide man Josh Kay has admitted it was pure instinct to even attempt the overhead kick that led to the match winner against Hartlepool United.

With what his first touch of the game after coming on as a substitute, Kay simply couldn’t have connected with Connor Brown’s cross any sweeter as his effort rocketed into the top corner.

It proved to be the only goal in what was a dominant 1-0 victory for the Bluebirds, with fan footage of it going viral on social media later in the evening.

However, despite the stunning nature of his strike, the 22-year-old is prepared to let midfielder Lewis Hardcastle keep his goal of the season prize, which he’d only been given the previous day at the club’s awards night.

Kay said: “Obviously, I’d just come on and at the beginning, I’ve gambled for the header at the back post and it’s come behind me.

“It was just instinct, really, and I’ve not actually seen it go in yet. I was a bit confused because, obviously, there was a roar and then there was silence. I thought it had gone just a bit wide.

“To be fair, if I’d missed that the gaffer would have been nailing me – ‘you’ve just come on, what are you playing at?’ – but luckily it’s gone in.

“But the team has done well, we’ve dug in there and I think we did well with the 4-3-3 formation which really works for us.”

It goes without saying that Kay’s third goal for AFC was by far the best he’s mustered since signing for the club from Chesterfield last summer, with his previous two efforts both going in with the help of heavy deflections.

He also had several chances to add to his tally against Hartlepool, as he gave possibly his most impressive performance for the Bluebirds, with him causing the visitors a lot of problems from the left wing, having also impressed as a right wing-back recently.

Kay said: “The lads were hammering me in the changing room saying: ‘you might have scored that but you missed about six chances,’ but I just had to laugh it off.

“I need to be more clinical, especially if I play up there. I really enjoy that position, in a 4-3-3, out there – I feel like it’s one of my best positions.

“I’ve played at No.10 quite a few times as well, but I think with my attributes I’m best suited out wide, so I can run in behind and stuff like that.

“I just need to practice a bit more at being composed in front of goal, just settling down and finishing my chances off.”