Calum Elliot wants to lift a trophy with Raith Rovers after his last taste of silverware came hundreds of miles from home.
Elliot won the Lithuanian Cup with Zalgiris Vilnius in 2012 and after helping Rovers to a Ramsdens Cup quarter-final win over Falkirk on Saturday, the former Hearts front man is now just 90 minutes away from reaching another final.
“The cup final in Lithuania was a great occasion,” he said.
“Winning a national cup is the same in any country and lifting the trophy at the end was something to remember. There was a big celebration after the end of season but I was desperate to come home and be closer to my family so I missed it all.
“It would be great to win a cup in this country but we’ve got another game to get through before we get to the final. As long as they boys stay focused then we’ve got a great chance.”
Rovers secured a place in the last four thanks to Greig Spence’s late winner after the striker made his comeback from a thigh injury as a second half substitute.
It was a deserved win for the Kirkcaldy men, who got stronger as the game wore on, while Falkirk were left to rue missed chances in the early stages.
The visitors made a bright start and home goalkeeper David McGurn was called into action to parry Rakish Bingham’s 20-yard thunderbolt, before reacting superbly to flick the rebound away from in-rushing striker Phil Roberts.
The visitors went close again in the 16th minute when Roberts destroyed Ellis for pace and his cut back was side-footed wide by Rory Loy with the goal at his mercy.
Rovers started to impose themselves more as an attacking force as the half wore on and in the 28th minute Grant Anderson should have done better than sky a volley over the bar from Elliot’s knock-down.
Four minutes later teenage forward Lewis Vaughan, making only his second senior start for Raith, played a slick one-two with Elliot before drawing a fine diving save out of Graham Bowman with a thumping 20-yard drive.
Both sides wasted glorious chances at the start of the second half with Bairns front man Loy sending a free header wide of the target from six yards in the 50th minute, before Liam Fox blazed over the bar from close range at the other end five minutes later.
Elliot had a sniff of goal in the 68th minute but a great block from defender Will Vaulks ensured the striker’s effort was deflected wide.
Rovers were camped in the Falkirk end in the closing stages and the pressure finally paid off in the 85th minute as Spence, who replaced Vaughan after an hour, got in front of his marker to sweep home Jason Thomson’s low cross.
Raith boss Grant Murray was delighted to lead the Kirkcaldy side into the last four of the Challenge Cup for the first time in a decade.
“It’s a big thing for the players to get to the semi-final of this competition,” he said.
“Not every player gets to a final in their career but our lads are only 90 minutes away from one. It’s a cup we always wanted to go as far as we could in.”
Falkirk manager Gary Holt added: “I’m disappointed with the result but not the performance.
For large spells we were comfortable but we’ve lost a sloppy goal. We’ll take it on the chin and learn from it.”