Double swoop for Stenhousemuir as manager and striker earn Scottish League One awards for January.

Stenhousemuir boss Gary Naysmith has been named as the Scottish League One Glen’s Manager of the Month for the second time this season.

The former Scotland full-back, 47, has led the part-time Warriors to second spot in the SPFL’s third tier and he has now earned the top manager prize for January following an unbeaten month.

Having already won the October prize, Naysmith was chosen after leading the Ochilview Park side to three crucial wins and a comeback draw amid a busy fixture schedule. Stenhousemuir started the month by chalking up seven goals across two home victories against Queen of the South and East Fife. Later in January, the Warriors then made five league clean sheets on the spin as they beat Kelty Hearts 2-0 away from home in front of the BBC ALBA television cameras. They then rounded off the month by scoring two goals in two minutes to snatch a late point against Peterhead at home.

Outwith league business, Stenhousemuir beat second tier Greenock Morton 4-0 in the Scottish Cup while also reaching the quarter finals of the KDM Evolution Trophy.

Colin Matthews, CEO of Glen’s owner the Loch Lomond Group, said: "Gary has done a fantastic job with Stenhousemuir this season, guiding them through an unbeaten January - a run which has put them right in the mix at the top of the league table. Now just five points off the top spot, it’s great to see his hard work and leadership paying off. Gary is fully deserving of this month’s Glen’s Manager of the Month award, and we wish him and everyone at Ochilview continued success for the rest of the season."

Gary Naysmith hails Stenhousemuir striker

Matty Aitken, who scored three league goals in January, was named William Hill League One Player of the Month for January to make it a double win for Stenhousemuir. The striker, 28, netted in the matches against Queen of the South, Kelty Hearts and Peterhead. He has a brilliant month in general - also netting twice in the Scottish Cup success over Greenock Morton.

Speaking to the Falkirk Herald, boss Naysmith hailed the impact that “proper target man” Aitken has had since joining Stenhousemuir in May 2023.

“He is valuable player, there aren’t too many like him going around these days,” he said. “If you look back at all of the clubs that I have managed, I have always had that proper target man type. When I started at East Fife it was Fash (Nathan Austin), when I went to Queen of the South it was Lyndon Dykes, when I went to Edinburgh City it was Ouzy See. When I came to Stenhousemuir it was the first thing I wanted - you need a player like that in the lower leagues.

“We know what Matty is and what he isn’t. I don't expect Matty to ever get us 20 to 30 goals in a season. But if he's getting his 12 to 15 goals plus what he else he brings to the team then you can see why he’s so important. He's had a really good January and scored a decent number of goals. He’s had to do the job up top himself for a period of time too when Dale (Carrick) was out injured. Matty's had to play the majority of the minutes, and he's put in a lot of really strong performances. He thoroughly deserves his award. I think that's two or three player of the month awards that he has now won in his time at the club now, which is fantastic for him.”