Panting: "Sometimes I hit them really well!"

By SFC Media time Mon 19 Apr Lewes vs Saints
Photo by Chris Moorhouse | Rachel Panting

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."

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