Striker Ryan Wallace produced a remarkable individual display for table-topping Dunfermline, coming on as a late substitute yet still being named man of the match after twice finding the Forfar net in the closing 15 minutes.
If the 25-year-old looked like a young man in a hurry, that’s precisely because he is.
Last season was a virtual write-off for Wallace as back and hip injuries plus a double hernia operation reduced him to just five appearances, yielding a single goal.
Now fully fit again, the former East Fife forward has already scored six times this term and is part of an attacking unit which previous managers Jim Jefferies and John Potter would have killed for during last season’s dire League One campaign.
Dunfermline started on Saturday with Michael Moffat, Faissal El Bakhtaoui and top scorer Joe Cardle up front, but they were able to add further firepower late on in the shape of Wallace and fellow substitute Mickael Antoine-Curier.
The end result was another thumping win, with goals from David Hopkirk and Cardle before Wallace’s late cameo, as the Pars stayed a single point ahead of Ayr United in the race for promotion.
Both of Wallace’s strikes were fired into the far corner, well away from the extended reach of veteran keeper Rab Douglas, but he refused to let his goals or the man of the match prize go to his head.
“I was only on for about 20 minutes and plenty of the other guys deserved to get it ahead of me,” he said.
“My first goal was a wee bit lucky but it went in, and the second one might have gone anywhere too, but it’s just great to be back playing and scoring again because the two stress fractures and double hernia made me start to question my future in the game.
“First and foremost, I was happy to get the three points for the team today and get some time on the pitch.
“I’ll do anything to help get the team where we want to be this season and I’m happy to come off the bench and score goals.
“It’s up to the manager if I play next time, but there’s lots of competition for places here, so there are lots of decisions for him to make.”
Forfar assistant manager Ian Campbell stressed afterwards that a spate of injuries had led to a handful of enforced changes for the Loons, who are without a win in five games.
“We have a lot of players missing because of injury, but we could have been level at half time if big Chris Templeman hadn’t missed those two chances,” said Campbell.