Masaya Okugawa headed home the opening goal in the second half Tuesday as Arminia Bielefeld defeated Bochum 2-0 in the German Bundesliga.
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder netted from the middle of the area in the 51st minute at Bielefelder Alm, leaping above his defender to connect with a Patrick Wimmer cross.
Wimmer added a second in the 69th minute to seal a much-needed first home win of the season for Arminia, who are battling to escape the relegation zone.
Okugawa's goal was his fourth of the campaign and fifth in the German top flight since moving from Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg.
It was also his first from a header, having scored all of his previous Bundesliga goals with his right foot.
"I was able to connect well. I rarely even manage to score with headers in training, so the whole team was surprised and wondered what was happening," a smiling Okugawa said following the match.
Japanese attacker Takuma Asano was not in the match-day squad for Bochum, who are now winless in their last six trips to Bielefeld.
After collecting just 13 points from 16 league games, 17th-place Arminia are determined to build on the victory and take the battle to their relegation rivals, Okugawa said.
"Hopefully we can work as one and gradually turn up the pressure (on the other clubs)," he said.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga, Wataru Endo and Hiroki Ito played the full 90 minutes for Stuttgart in a 5-0 loss at home to champions Bayern Munich.
