Daryll Meggatt has had some fine moments in his three years at Alloa Athletic, but it's safe to say the Dundee-bound defender saved his very best until last.
After winning promotion to the Championship in his first season with the Clackmannanshire club, the 24-year-old former Queen's Park player helped them defy the odds to stay in the second tier last season.
After last month agreeing a pre-contract with Dundee and his former Wasps manager, Paul Hartley, Meggatt was intent on repeating the feat this season and ensuring he wouldn't end a memorable time at the Indodrill Stadium on a sour note.
For long periods of the two-legged Championship play-off final, it looked like Alloa, 3-1 down from the first leg, were heading to back to League One. But Meggatt had other ideas. A magnificent saving tackle to stop Omar Kader putting Forfar 4-2 ahead on aggregate was a notable enough contribution in itself. But the defender went a step further when, with six minutes left and his side down to ten men, he headed an unlikely winner - only his fourth goal for the club - to ensure Alloa triumphed 4-3 on aggregate and remained in the second tier for a third successive season.
"I think that's the highlight of my career," he said. "That pretty much sums up what I wanted from my last appearance, that was the storybook ending you dream of. Those tackles, and saves your keeper makes, are just as good as goals. It was great to get that goal, but the most important thing is that Alloa are in the Championship next season.
"The worst thing would have been leaving after relegation, so it's good to go out on a high and it sets the standard for the boys next season. I don't want to take the spotlight off anybody because all the boys here are heroes. I've been with them for three years, the same squad for most of the time, and they are great guys."
Meggatt is confident Danny Lennon's part-timers can continue to hold their own in a division which will next season contain St Mirren as well as two of Motherwell, Hibernian and Rangers.
"The boys will compete next season - I think we've been unlucky to end up in a play-off this season because we've played some great stuff. Whoever's still here, I'm sure Alloa will kick on and have a successful season next year. They're in safe hands under Danny. He's been great since he came in. He's high tempo and has always shown faith in the players. It's paid off."
Meggatt, meanwhile, will be trying to find his feet at Dundee, a club who have made it to the top six of the Premiership after bringing in the likes of Greg Stewart, Scott Bain and Paul McGinn from the lower leagues.
"I'm looking forward to it. It's a new challenge and I want to kick on and meet it," he said. "I'm looking forward to going to Dundee and progressing as a player. I get on well with Paul Hartley, he is a good gaffer and did a great job down here with Alloa, so I can't wait to get started.
"He (Hartley) kicked everything off here, but through Barry Smith, Danny and even Paddy Connolly, who was brilliant in the time he was in charge, they have all played a part in where this club is."
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