Panting: "Sometimes I hit them really well!"
It's an old cliché that a goal is worthy of winning any game. But that truly rings true of Rachel Panting's winning strike against Lewes FC in the Vitality Women's FA Cup.
Defender Rosie Parnell hits a free-kick up field which eventually falls to the feet of Panting.
With little time to think due to the onrushing defenders, the Saints attacker turns and hits a first time shot on the half-volley which nestles superbly in the top right corner.
It turned out to be the match winner over Championship side Lewes, but the 29-year-old remained ever modest despite the quality of the strike.
"I love scoring anyway and sometimes I hit them pretty well!" she exclaimed with a smile.
"In the first half there was a time where I probably could have had a shot and on the touchline they told me to test the keeper.
"I think in my head I thought 'next time where I'm in a position where I can I need to take it'
"In my head I always have the belief that if I strike the ball cleanly it's going in, so as the ball was coming back to me I thought 'this is something to hit!'
"Last week we were so solid and connected as a team and that's what we took forward, but we knew we had to step it up even more.
"Full credit to Kayla [Rendell on her penalty save] as that was a big turning point for us. That proves we had belief all throughout the game."
