Scott Fraser hopes his first goal for Dundee United could be the one that helps turn their season around.
With Tuesday’s Scottish League Cup third round tie against Dunfermline at Tannadice into the sixth minute of extra-time, Fraser danced towards the Pars’ box before shooting past Pars keeper Sean Murdoch.
That strike made it 2-1 and eased the anxiety of a United side that hitherto hadn’t been able to buy a win.
Substitute Blair Spittal then added a third just a couple of minutes later to secure the Tangerines’ place in Monday’s quarter-final draw at Hampden.
Jackie McNamara’s men now face a tough trip to McDiarmid Park to face St Johnstone, the cup conquerors of Rangers, in the Premiership on Saturday.
With the priority for United the gathering of league points in order to climb out of second-bottom spot in the table, Fraser hopes his goal could be a turning point.
“Thankfully, I got the goal that settled everything down and got us passing the ball about again,” said Fraser.
“I thought the Dunfermline match was going to be another one of those games.
“Right at the death, Simon Murray slid in but their goalie got a fingertip to it. At that point I was thinking: ‘Here we go again!’
“Even the chance we had when I put Billy Mckay through nine times out of 10 he would have scored that.
“But I thought the boys did very well and in extra-time we showed our fitness and our strength.
“Spitts did very well when he came on and probably changed the game by giving us that width that we had been lacking, especially in the first half.
“He did his job and thankfully we are in the next round.
“I think in the past two home league games (gaianst Kilmarnock and Inverness Caley Thistle) we have dominated both matches but not taken our chances.
“Hopefully, we can now kick on away to St Johnstone on Saturday.”
Fraser, who spent last season on loan to Airdrie but now looks like a must-pick for manager McNamara, was delighted to get off the mark after being urged to have a go more often.
“It was my first goal for United and a great moment for me,” he added.
“I think it might have taken a bit of deflection but it was definitely sneaking in anyway.
“It was a great feeling and I had my family up in the stand watching.
“They were there in numbers my girlfriend, my mum, my dad, my sister and her boyfriend.
“I got six goals on loan at Airdrie and when I came back here I made it my aim to get more goals.
“The gaffer and the boys had been on at me for passing too much and saying that I should have a strike.
“So when I burst through the two tackles I thought about passing but had a shot instead.”