The striker headed in the only goal of their play-off against Bahrain in the second leg in Wellington as they qualified for their first finals in 27 years.

And the Plymouth Argyle star has revealed the true reason behind his recent success – his faith in God.

In fact, he reckons the Almighty even helped him bag the crucial winner.

“When I’m on the pitch I always talk to Jesus”, he said. “I said ‘Lord, give me one more chance’.”

And Fallon, 27, will undoubtedly be taking the message of Christ to the finals in South Africa this June. Despite his devout Christian lifestyle, Fallon hasn’t always been a religious man. After making more than 50 appearances for Barnsley, the 27-year-old has played for Swindon, Swansea and now the Pilgrims. Fallon has also been on loan spells at Shrewsbury and Yeovil.

He was a player in danger of not fulfilling his potential in his younger years, of becoming the sort of person who in the twilight of their years wistfully reflects on a wasted opportunity.

It was perhaps the low point of his career but, looking back on it, Fallon knows why – he had lost direction.

“I did not take football as seriously as I should have,” he said. “I just thought ‘whatever’; I thought the game owed me whereas I actually owed it a lot.”

Fallon was living for the weekends and drinking too much. But even back when he was at Barnsley he had a suspicion that there was something missing in his life.

“When I became a professional footballer I thought what next? That got me thinking,” said the Gisborne-born striker.

“The first pro I cleaned boots for was Bruce Dyer at Barnsley and he was a born-again Christian. I asked him what his faith was all about and it went from there, but it has been a gradual realisation over time.

“I used to live for the weekend but now I live to glorify God.”

Fallon met wife Carly in his partying days in Swansea. Her mother Pearl was a practising Christian but Carly was not.

Rory and Carly discovered their faith together and were formally baptised in January 2008. Fallon, who has stopped drinking, now helps under-privileged children in Plymouth and is involved with his local branch of Faith and Football.