Raith Rovers ended their four-game barren run on Saturday with more than a little help from the Hearts under-19 team.
John McGlynn snapped up three more highly-rated teenagers from Tynecastle last week attacking midfielders Jason Holt, David Smith and Jamie Walker taking the total number of Hearts players on loan at Stark’s Park to five.
All Rovers’ goals in the 3-2 win over Hamilton Accies were scored by their on-loan Jambos, and skipper Grant Murray hailed the impact they made in the crucial win.
”They gave us a new lease of life,” he said. ”They were all involved in our goals, all the chances we created. They looked very lively so, hopefully, they are going to do well for us.
”They are confident young boys and you can see that they’ve got ability. They’ve shown it in training and in a bounce game last week credit to the manager for sticking them straight in.”
After over 400 minutes without a goal, Rovers took just nine minutes to find the back of the net against Hamilton.
Smith’s low cross was spilled by Accies’ goalkeeper David Hutton, and Holt slid in to knock the ball over the line.
The lead lasted just seven minutes as the visitors levelled with a terrific solo goal from Dougie Imrie, who dribbled past Willie Dyer before lashing a shot past David McGurn.
Rovers missed a golden chance when Holt scooped the ball over from six yards just after the break but they scored next on 61 minutes with another goal made in Gorgie.
Walker cut his way through the Accies defence and lifted the ball over keeper Hutton, with midfielder Denis Prychynenko, another of the Hearts loan aces, sliding in to make sure the ball crossed the line.
Rovers looked home and dry with 12 minutes left when the impressive Smith cut in and fired a 25-yard shot past Hutton.
But Hamilton refused to give up and were awarded a penalty by ref Stevie O’Reilly with six minutes left when Prychynenko fouled Paterson in the box.
Substitute James Chambers took the spot-kick but McGurn made a brilliant save low to his right.
Hamilton did pull a goal back four minutes into injury-time when Mark McLaughlin blasted in a long-range shot but it was too late.
Raith boss John McGlynn said: ”The Hearts boys made a massive impact. They are what we’ve been missing.”