Dylan Easton has bemoaned the fact he does not score ‘tap-ins’ – but the Raith Rovers hero would gladly accept another stunning match-winner like on his last visit to Tannadice.
Slaloming in from the right side of the box past a string of Dundee United defenders, the Stark’s Park favourite added the coup de grace of a beautiful curling shot with his left foot to earn Raith a huge victory.
It was a raucously-celebrated triumph that earned them a five-point lead at the top of the Championship, albeit United still had a game in hand.
On this occasion, it is the Tangerines who have played a game more and who would go four points clear if they manage a first win of the campaign against their title rivals.
However, Easton is likely to have a say in that outcome, with the statistics showing he has completed the most passes, dribbles and attacking duels won in the fixture.
And, with just two goals since that sensational strike against United in December, the 29-year-old would love another winner to look back on.
“It’s right up there with one of my better ones,” said the former St Johnstone, Kelty Hearts and Forfar Athletic attacker.
“I like to keep on top of my numbers through the season to see what I can improve on, and something was adding more goals to my game.
“I got off to a really good start in the first six months and got double figures right away (ten by December 30).
Easton: ‘More special’
“We were looking at the goals I score and I said to myself I would love to get five, six, seven tap-ins a season.
“But I can’t remember the last time I actually had one.
“They seem to be always quite good goals, but I’d take that all the time.
“If it’s one goal like that, up at Tannadice to win the game, it makes it more special.”
With two wins and a draw against United so far this season, as well as a historic five Fife derbies in a row, Raith have proven they can rise to the big occasion.
The question becomes how they will cope with so much on the line during a tense title run-in.
From plucky challengers against a United side fully expected to eventually run away with the championship, the possibility of reaching the promised land of the Premiership is now getting very real.
“It is the old cliché of one game at a time,” said Easton before clarifying that statement.
“But in the back of your head, when you get this close to the end of the season and you know you’re competing for a title, you do start thinking about it.
“Our task before the start of the season was to get a position in the play-offs. Once we did that, it was a case of creating as big a gap to fourth and then third.
‘A really good position’
“Obviously, we’ve put ourselves in a really good position.
“And if we can do well on Saturday then it puts us in an even better position, and then we can take it from there.”
So, how do Raith best approach such a big game knowing even a draw and a win in each of their remaining six games in the campaign would land them the title?
There has been something of a tactical shift from manager Ian Murray in recent weeks.
Gone are the 4-4 draws, 4-3 wins and 3-2 victories and defeats of earlier in the campaign.
In their place have been four clean sheets in their last five outings to help them clock up 14 points from a possible 21 since a run of five straight defeats.
But it is a game-plan that Easton believes can still get the best out of him and Rovers’ other attacking threats at Tannadice.
“Recently, we’ve changed our system a little bit and been hard to beat,” added Easton, who has revealed he is hopeful of agreeing a new contract with Rovers.
“And I think it’s been working. We’ve had a good few clean sheets.
“So, if we can build on that, with the forward players we’ve got we always know we’re going to score goals.
Easton: ‘That wee bit of magic’
“The last time we were up at Tannadice, it was probably similar. It was a close game and it took that wee bit of magic.
“Obviously, that turned out to be myself. But there are loads of other players in the team that can do that.
“If we can keep that hard-to-beat structure we’ve built on in the last four or five weeks, it gives us a platform to hopefully get our forward players on the ball and create chances.
“Every single game’s tough, so we know we need to be at it.
“But we’ve got the better of them this season so far, so hopefully that can continue on Saturday.”
