St Johnstone’s last-gasp goal hero Rebecca McMillan admits time stood still as her header looped towards the net.
The defender nodded in Nicole Carter’s 88th minute free-kick to clinch three Scottish Women’s Premier League 2 points against Queen’s Park at the Riverside last Sunday.
It was McMillan’s first goal for the club since joining from Dundee United in January and, of course, the feeling was a special one.
The header, which towered high into the sky before dropping in the required destination, sparked jubilant scenes of celebration among team-mates.
“I was just aiming for the back post hoping that, if it didn’t go in, it would be a tap in for someone else,” McMillan explained to the Perthshire Advertiser.
“It did feel a bit like slow motion. I’ve scored a few headers but never one as looping as that!
“There definitely isn’t any better feeling than being on the pitch celebrating a goal.”
On the game itself, McMillan added: “I thought it was a pretty even game.
“We had a lot of good spells throughout it and we were looking most likely to score in the second half.”
Saints, boosted by this latest triumph, now welcome table-toppers Montrose to the Riverside this Sunday.
“I’d like to be playing consistently in the team and developing my own game,” McMillan said of her personal goals.
“I think Montrose will now be a hard game but, as long as the team sticks together and follows the game plan, hopefully we will get a positive result.”
Saints WFC’s general manager Mark Nisbet, who is in charge of the first team at present, said the weekend win has given his squad a confidence boost.
Reflecting on the Queen’s Park success, he explained: “As I suspected before the match, it proved to be a really competitive contest.
“I felt we played well in periods but so did Queen’s Park. They had a couple of decent opportunities early on but I felt we settled into the game after that, without being as creative in the forward areas as I would like.
“As the game went on I thought we were the ones pushing for the win and I was delighted we could get the winner with only minutes left.”
Nisbet concluded: “The result gives us a confidence boost and we are now looking forward to the Montrose game this week.”