Goal-scorer Danny Woodards says it was only a matter of time before Bristol Rovers produced the sort of display that helped them dismantle promotion-chasing Fleetwood Town on Saturday.
Bottom-of-the-table Rovers arrived at Highbury with an injury-hit squad that saw John Ward forced to field a squad that was two short of filling the bench on the back of a difficult week in which the manager was unable to add any new faces to his threadbare ranks.
Ward, however, watched goals from Woodards, Eliot Richards and John-Joe O'Toole secure a victory 'against all odds' to breathe new life into Rovers' continuing survival bid.
"It's the sort of performance that has been coming," said Woodards, who got the show on the road with a fourth-minute opener. "The boys have been working their socks off in training and we knew it was just a matter of time. I wasn't surprised when we got a couple of goals inside half-an-hour.
"We knew we had to come out and get about then early on and once we got the goals we just had to keep our concentration and keep going because there was still a long way to go."
Richards added the second goal in the 27th minute before O'Toole completed the scoring just after half-time and Woodards added: "The boys at the back were tremendous and the key to winning the game was a desire to work hard right throughout the team.
"We pressed them all over the pitch and that gave us the platform to go on and score some goals. The clean sheet was also massive for us and we just hope we can keep it going. I think we were comfortable and I can't recall many times where Fleetwood threatened our goal.
He added: "It can be tough when you are missing a lot of experienced players and your bench is made up of youngsters. We all know they are willing, however, so we have no fears over them.
"What the youngsters bring to the side is a lot of energy and that is what you need when you set out to press your opponents all over the park."
It was only Rovers' second victory on their travels all season – over three months on from their last success at Exeter City and Woodards said: "We haven't had the chance to enjoy many of our trips home.
"I was injured the last time we won away so it was a brilliant feeling to be getting on the coach after winning a game for a change."
Ellis Harrison, meanwhile, was handed his first start for the club as a late replacement for knee-injury victim Fabian Broghammer and made an instant impact by providing the cross for Woodards to convert the opening goal.
"It was an unreal feeling," Harrison said. "I couldn't have asked for a better way to make my debut.
"I didn't know that I was going to play until Friday, but I wasn't nervous, really.
"I hope I have done enough to keep my shirt, but I also hope the manager didn't see some of my shots.
"I certainly didn't bring my shooting boots because some of my efforts were horrendous!"
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