Barney Stewart believes bagging a few goals in pre-season fixtures has helped boost his confidence ahead of the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
The 22-year-old forward joined the club in June from Scottish side Falkirk, penning a four-year contract.
Stewart scored the second goal as Albion defeated Peterborough United in a practice match on Saturday – his third strike in the club’s friendly games over the summer.
And Barney insists he’s always intent on hitting the back of the net, regardless of the occasion.
The striker said: “It’s always nice to score. To be fair, every time you’re on the pitch as a striker you’re looking to score a goal, regardless of the occasion.
“I scored pretty much straight away after coming on, but I know I should’ve had another at the end.
“For my goal, Mikey would normally hit that in training because he’s been banging them in recently. I appreciated the pass from him and when I received it, I thought I may as well have a go. I managed to sneak it in, but it was quite a slow finish.
“I’ve scored a few in pre-season now, which is obviously good for my confidence. I don’t want to get them all out the way in pre-season as I want to save plenty for when the competitive action kicks in.
“Regardless of the game, if the chance is in front of you then you’ve got to try and take it. It’s always nice when the ball goes in because scoring goals is a great way to build your confidence.
“I know it’s pre-season, but it’s still a nice feeling to score. I’ll be taking that confidence into the season. If I hadn’t scored yet, I’d be low on confidence. I’m eyeing-up a goal every time I’m on the pitch.
“I’ve loved my first few weeks at the club. It’s so easy to say that you love it here, but, I genuinely do. It’s such a great group and they’ve all welcomed me really well.”
