Ryan Conroy scored with his last touch of the game to end Raith Rovers’ three-match losing streak in Falkirk on Saturday.
The former Dundee winger was substituted immediately after scoring the 79th minute winner but he had no idea he was about to be withdrawn.
“I didn’t know I was coming off, but I think it was already set up so it was a good time to score,” said Conroy, pictured.
“The last three or four weeks we’ve been playing well but not getting the results.
“It’s been a hard run so to come here and get the three points is massive and hopefully starts a wee run for ourselves.”
The win eases some pressure on Raith manager Grant Murray who has been told that results must improve by the board of directors.
“In the dressing room we don’t really think too much into that,” Conroy explained.
“Obviously people can say what they want but we’re all behind the manager, and I think you can see that with the way we’ve been playing. We’ve got belief in the manager and it paid dividends today.”
Raith made a good start under the watchful eye of new director of football Maurice Malpas and were unlucky not to be awarded a sixth minute penalty as Calum Elliot was tugged in the box.
However, Falkirk should have taken the lead on 24 minutes when defender Rory McKeown misjudged a through ball, allowing Rory Loy to go clear, but David McGurn saved brilliantly with his foot then watched as Blair Alston fired the rebound wide of the gaping goal.
Ross Callachan was unlucky not to give Rovers the lead on the stroke of half-time as his 25-yard effort took a wicked deflection and smacked off the post.
The home side were looking for a sixth successive league win and they started the second half on top. McGurn was required to make a brave save at the feet of Peter Grant as Falkirk piled on the pressure.
Rovers survived the storm and almost grabbed the opener in the 71st minute as David McCracken’s poor touch presented Elliot with the ball at close range but the striker volleyed wide.
The visitors passed up another glorious chance in the 77th minute as Elliot won possession and slipped in Conroy but the winger fired into the side net with just the keeper to beat.
At the other end, just a minute later, Alston knocked the ball wide from six yards when it looked easier to score. With play going from end-to-end it was Rovers who struck the crucial opener with 11 minutes left as McKeown’s teasing low cross eluded the Falkirk defence and Conroy smashed home at the far post.
McGurn was again called into action to deny the Bairns an equaliser, clawing the ball off his goal-line to prevent a Paul Watson own goal with five minutes remaining.
Rovers survived late pressure to claim a much needed three points to the delight of manager Murray.
“When you’re on a run that we’ve been on, sometimes you need to dig even deeper and ride your luck a wee bit, which we did out there.
“Davie McGurn makes the saves that we see all the time in training and games, and to go up and score the goal at the time we did was fantastic.
“We’ve seen it coming with recent performances but you’ve got to get that first win to go on a wee run. We’ve now got to get back to a bit of consistency.”
Falkirk boss Peter Houston said: “Credit to Raith Rovers they came with a gameplan and it worked for them.”