Flint: A Great Feeling
- Natasha Flint's 89th-minute strike sealed a 1-0 victory for LCFC Women in the Continental Tyres League Cup on Thursday
- The former Blackburn Rovers forward was delighted to send her side into the semi-finals
- Flint revealed she made a last-minute decision to use her left foot for the decisive effort at Hayes Lane
- All focus is now on tackling Liverpool at Prenton Park in the FA Women's Championship, she says
A fraught encounter with Crystal Palace at Hayes Lane looked likely to end goalless, until City were awarded a last-minute free-kick on the cusp of the Eagles' penalty area.
Up stepped Flint, teed up by midfielder Remi Allen, to send a stunning rocket past Emma Gibbon in the hosts' net to settle the clash and set up a maiden last-four appearance for Leicester.
Speaking to LCFC TV, shortly after netting her 14th goal in all competitions since joining from Blackburn Rovers in the summer, Flint was delighted to play such a key role in the outcome of the game.
"It’s a great feeling," said December's FA Women's Championship Player of the Month. "Going through to the semi-finals is one of the things we wanted to achieve in today’s game and it’s the best feeling ever.
"Going through with this group of girls, who have been absolutely brilliant and ready from the get-go, I just feel unreal.
"As a striker, that’s my main aim, I want to score a lot of goals. I don’t think too much about it. If I don’t score, then I don’t score, but that’s my biggest aim as a striker."
Flint revealed that she in fact changed her mind at the very last minute before striking the winner, electing to use her left foot in a move which surprised the Palace defenders.
Now, though, she is focused on continuing City's excellent recent form, extending an unbeaten run which goes back to 1 November, with Leicester due to visit Liverpool on Sunday (2pm GMT kick-off).
Flint added: "In the last minute, I changed it to my left foot and Remi was like: ‘What?!’ I just hit it and it went in.
"I didn’t think too much into it really. It was just going to be as if nobody was in front of me, just a shot on goal. I was going to go right foot, but then the wall knew what I was doing.
"I said to the girls before, I could have taken 50 shots today and thankfully the 50th one went in, but for every single one of us on the team, we’ve had a tough week.
"We’ve had a hard game against Sheffield [United], long travel here, we were all a little tired, so I’m glad I got the winning goal for us.
"We’re taking each game as it comes. Today wasn’t a league game, but we want to get somewhere in this cup as well.
"That’s what we did today and then, after the game, we’re just going to focus on Liverpool now."