A last-gasp winner from Allan Smith in his first start secured a dramatic win for Dunfermline as they twice came from behind in a thriller at East End Park.
An ecstatic Smith felt the goal earned the Pars a deserved victory.
“I’m over the moon. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m glad to be back playing 90 minutes instead of coming on.”
The 19-year-old hitman explained his bizarre jockey celebration was a riposte to a bit of dressing room stick.
“It’s because I’m from Selkirk,” said Smith. “Josh Falkingham had been saying it was horse and cart country down there so I thought I’d get on the horse and show him how it’s done!”
Smith had his feet firmly on the ground when the question was raised of future starts.
“I can’t take it for granted. I’ll need to behave and train hard and we’ll see if I’m selected.”
Despite both sides going into the game in play-off positions, they were each looking to put an end to recent slumps with a result here and it was the hosts who started much the busier.
With virtually all the possession and territory in the opening 20 minutes, Kerr Young and Allan Smith both spurned opportunities to give the Pars an early lead before a clash of heads between Callum Morris and Chris Smith saw the Stenny keeper knocked out for our minutes.
The visitors administered the first sucker punch after 23 minutes when Brown Ferguson’s wide free kick deceived everyone in the box, particularly keeper Ryan Scully, and sat up at the back post for Kevin McKinlay to head home.
Dunfermline went back on the attack immediately and levelled the match on 37 minutes when Shaun Byrne capped a 20-yard run with an admittedly fortunate goal following a deflection off Eddie Malone.
From there Dunfermline ought to have been in cruise control but they were behind again after 50 minutes when Sean Dickson sent Darren Smith clear to steer the ball across Scully.
With the home crowd growing restless, the second equaliser came courtesy of a Wallace penalty which he won himself after drawing the foul from Dickson.
That lifted the home support but they were sent into raptures in the very last minute as Smith worked a one- two with Young and drove home a fierce effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box to seal a crucial three points.