Sheffield United’s Isobel Goodwin – and five ahead of third-placed Annabel Blanchard, her teammate – to take the crown of Championship top goalscorer.
Among her goals were four in the 9-1 win over Durham; Palace’s first of the season, a 102nd-minute header to nick a point against Reading on the opening day of 2023/24; and a crucial winning goal against Birmingham City at the VBS Community Stadium earlier this month.
Speaking to Palace TV at full-time, Hughes said: “I just said to Sky then that it felt like a whole lot of tap-ins! But nah, honestly, it's class.
“Like, obviously personally, that's great for me. But the fact that it's helped the team in a small way is everything I ever wanted – and if I'm honest, it's my job, so I'm glad I was able to do my job!
“For the players, for the staff, they put a lot of trust in me. And I've just repaid them. That's all I can do.”