Fixture list not making life any easier for Stenhousemuir

Having faced and lost heavily to the top trio - Dunfermline, Ayr United and Peterhead - in their last three games, Warriors could have been forgiven for looking for, on paper at least, a slightly easier task in their next fixture.

Instead they take on Stranraer at a time when a run of just one defeat in 10 games has propelled Brian Reid’s side into fourth place in the table.

Stranraer have conceded just eight goals in those 10 games - and six of them came in the one game they lost at the hands of leaders Dunfermline.

Their latest clean sheet came on Wednesday night against a Peterhead side who put four past Stenny at Ochilview last Saturday.

But despite the convincing end result, Warriors boss Brown Ferguson believes the final 4-1 scoreline doesn’t give a true reflection of the way his side performed.

He admitted: “In the opening half hour our performance wasn’t anywhere near what we were hoping for.

“We were then better for a spell without making great inroads but in the last 25 to 30 minutes we were excellent.

“Unfortunately by then it was too little too late and we paid the price for the way we performed in the first part of the game.

“They only had five shots at goal and yet they scored four times. They were clinical up front and solid at the back whereas we weren’t and it cost us.

“OK we lost the game but I don’t think the score was a true reflection of the game overall and there are positives we can take from it going into Saturday’s match.

“They are in form and are coming off the back of another good result against Peterhead but hopefully we can carry on the way we performed in the latter part of the match on Saturday.”

Ther was also disappointment for Stenny’s associated amateur side Stenhousemuir Community AFC as they bowed out of the Scottish Cup at the last 16 stage.

They had been hoping to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history but were beaten 2-1 by Motherwell side Colville Park - regarded by many as the top team in ther country - in their seventh round replay.