If you want a guide to whether Elliott List is going to have a good game, watch the warm-up.

The striker scored twice in a 3-0 win for Stevenage at home to Barnsley, Carl Piergianni getting the other.

And after two games without Boro finding the net, you would have thought the strikers would have wanted any opportunity to test their mettle in front of goal.

Not so for List this time as he scored with just his second touch, two minutes after coming on as substitute.

Elliott List of Stevenage FC celebrates his first goal against Barnsley with Harvey White and Luther Wildin. Picture: TGS PHOTOElliott List of Stevenage FC celebrates his first goal against Barnsley with Harvey White and Luther Wildin. Picture: TGS PHOTO (Image: David Loveday/TGS Photo)

"It was instinct," he admitted. "Funny enough, I didn't do any shooting practice in the warm-up and sometimes when I've done that, I feel better in games because you’re thinking less, you're just going off instinct.  

"You know where the goal is and you know where the keeper will be so you put it where he isn’t. 

"We've had decent performances this season, we’ve worked really hard at the back but as a collective, we've haven’t always taken the chances we’ve had. 

"[This win though] summed up with the hard work we've been putting in over the last few weeks during the break and we really deserved it. 

"That’s the way we should be performing every week. 

"If you're not creating chances, that's when you've got a big problem but if you walk off the pitch and think ‘I should have scored one or two’, that’s better than thinking I didn't even have a chance. 

"You can never give up, you’ve got to keep getting into the right areas and keep taking the chances, don’t shy away from them. 

"A lot of them went in [against Barnsley]."

And his description of the third goal should be music to the ears of the management team.

List said: "It was a great ball to Louis [Thompson] and I just though ‘get in the middle of the goal’, that’s what the gaffer and Neil [Banfield] bang on at us to do. 

"Louis has put a great ball across and I just managed to get there and get over the line." 

The victory certainly changed the mood around the Lamex.

The 0-0 draw at Burton Albion, followed by a 1-0 loss to Lincoln City at home, had just brought a few grumbles from certain quarters.

Not so after this performance where the Lamex was not only bathed in bright sunshine but huge beaming smiles.

List said: "I think the fans really got the lift they needed and it always helps scoring, it changes games. 

"When the second went in, there was a real good feeling around the ground and we just wanted to make sure we kept a clean sheet. 

"And we threw everything at them. We kept saying ‘don’t sink, don’t back down, don’t hold on [to what we’ve got. Let's keep going and get more. 

"That's what we did."

Now Boro have a week until two difficult away games in four days, at Exeter City and Wigan Athletic.

Bring them on says List.

The 27-year-old said: "Barnsley are a great team and they're doing really well in the league. 

"But this win should give us all the confidence to say, why can't we go and beat Exeter and why can’t we go and beat Wigan?"