In-form Matty Yates nets hat-trick as Stenhousemuir stay top of League One after 4-0 win over Dumbarton

The Warriors, who stay two points clear at the William Hill League One summit thanks to the Ochilview win on Saturday, beat Cove Rangers 3-0 last Tuesday and Irvine Meadow XI 5-0 in the Scottish Cup three days earlier.

Forward Yates opened the scoring against the Sons after just eight minutes, scoring from a free-kick. Team-mate Aaron Steele then turned home Yates’ ball in for the Warriors’ second on 25 minutes from a corner.

And in the second half, the ex-Stranraer ace coverted twice from the penalty spot to seal his hat-trick against the visitors – who finished with nine men after red cards in each half for Finlay Gray and goalkeeper Brett Long.

"I’m delighted – the main aim was to win the game today,” Yates told Warriors TV. “Getting three goals and an assist tops it off. The three points was the main thing and the boys were brilliant today.”

Assistant manager Brown Ferguson added: “It was a fantastic result to round off a fantastic week. Three wins and three clean sheets is ideally what you want. We are scoring goals and being strong defensively.”

Stenhousemuir now travel to seventh-placed Queen of the South next weekend,