Jimmy Nichol had nothing but praise for his Cowdenbeath players as they outshone hot favourites Queen of the South on their own ground to travel home with all three points.
He said: “No one gave us any chance in this match, but the boys worked their socks off and hit back after a late equaliser.
“There was some last gasp defending in the later stages, but it is always character and determination that wins matches and we showed this in this game.
“It’s three points on the board and we’re proud of it.”
The Fife team had looked like causing an upset until four minutes from time as they led by a solitary goal.
But Queens then managed to find the net to level the score and began to throw everything at Robbie Thomson’s goal in the dying minutes.
But with just seconds to go skipper Sean Higgins hit Queens on the break as he homed in on goal and calmly slotted the ball past the advancing keeper.
Queens had started the brighter of the two, but they had an early fright when Lewis Milne cracked in a 20-yard drive which beat keeper Zander Clark but went outside the post.
The Dumfries side, though, had a couple of chances, with Gavin Reilly putting both narrowly past, and then only a fine save by keeper Thomson prevented a shot from John Baird giving Queens the breakthrough.
The Dumfries side began to toil after failing to hit the target and Cowdenbeath came more and more into the game and it was only a fine save by keeper Zander Clark that prevented John Robertson giving his side the lead from point-blank range.
At times Queens seemed at sixes and sevens as Cowdenbeath hit them on the break and it was no surprise when the breakthrough came four minutes from the interval.
Callum Gallagher ran on to a through ball and warded off a Queens defender before slamming the ball past the helpless Dumfries keeper.
Queens made a desperate bid after the break to pull themselves back into the game and they were unlucky when Ian McShane cracked a free-kick against the crossbar.
Just when it looked as if the Fifers were going to steal the points up popped substitute Derek Lyle to head home the equaliser with four minutes to go.
Queens were throwing everything forward when the final twist came as Higgins caught out the Dumfries defenders with the winning goal.
Nicholl hopes it will give his players a boost going into their match against Hearts on Tuesday.
All briefs for the original date are valid for the game, which has a 7.45pm kick-off.