FORWARD Katie Wilkinson has insisted that she meant her winning goal during Saints FC Women's 2-1 win over Sheffield United in the Championship on Sunday.

Wilkinson, who also celebrated her 29th birthday on the day, capped it in some style when her effort from out on the left wing drifted over Fran Stenson in the Blades goal.

Sophia Pharoah had given the hosts the lead after 13 minutes before Jodie Hutton equalised with a wonderful curling effort from outside the box.

Saints were soon back in front through Wilkinson and she told the Daily Echo that her strike was deliberate.

She said: "Yes, I meant it. If you don’t shoot, you don’t score do you? It’s gone on target and into the back of the net and we are just happy to get the three points.

"I think Sophia (Pharoah’s) header was really good as well with the angle that she got on it.

"She is like a silent assassin with the ball in the air from trying to head it. You don’t expect her to be good at heading because she is quite small but she’s very good at it.

The home side was dominant in the first half and created several chances to extend the lead with Lexi Lloyd-Smith and Molly Pike, in particular going close.

Wilkinson admitted that the first-half display was enjoyable to be a part of but that the gritty second-half display was just as important.

She added: "We know that we are capable of it and when you see it flowing with that one and two-touch football, it is good for us, it is good for the fans to see.

"But when you get in at half time, you know that teams are then going to try and stop that which I think Sheffield United did a good job of trying to do.

"It just turned into a little bit more of a scrappy game and that is when we have to adjust and adapt a little more which I think we did.

"It was not as maybe nice to look at from the side of the pitch but we got the three points in the end to see it out."