Gary Naysmith: Stenhousemuir are going through a sticky spell

The Ochilview Park team found themselves three goals down at the break after a ten-minute horror spell, and former Scotland full-back Naysmith pulled no punches about his players’ defending.

"We’ve been slack and made two or three schoolboy errors and by half time the game was over,” he told Warriors TV.

“It was similar to when Dunfermline got their goal on 46 minutes the previous weekend – it became damage limitations.

"It was a disappointing result and a disappointing performance. I think as a group just now, we are going through a sticky spell.

“The performance levels that reached earlier in the season are not being reached now.

“It is up to myself and Brown (Ferguson) to get that level of performance back from the players. We presented them each goal.

“Goals change games and we’ve let the course of the game change.

"The second half was a non-event. Cove sat back a little bit and we struggled to create anything.

“They get another but it is a wondergoal and one you can’t do anything about.

“I acknowledge that performance wasn’t good enough. There can be a little bit of give with the Dunfermline result, playing against a team higher up, but not against Cove.

“I am hurting and the players are hurting too.”

Naysmith reckons that missing key players in both boxes has now finally caught up with Stenny, who still sit second in the William Hill League One table on goal difference.

“We’ve done great to get to where we are but just now we are missing Matty (Aitken) up top,” he added.

“Aaron Steele going back too; that’s seven goals in two games we’ve conceded since he left.

“We’re missing Nicky (Jamieson) for the season. The big man is clearly a miss at the back too.

“The rest of the squad need to stand up. In the main they’ve done that this season.

“But at the moment they’ve been found wanting a little bit.”

The Warriors now travel to seventh-placed Montrose this Saturday.