Stenhousemuir boss Gary Naysmith on 'momentous' fans' effort and a sensible approach to grab Bonnyrigg win

Despite the cold front, volunteers and the club’s backroom team managed to clear Ochilview Park’s surface and have the pitch more than playable for the visit of Robbie Horn’s side.

And a 1-0 home victory on the day, courtesy of a ninth league goal of the campaign from Matthew Aitken, sent the Warriors three points clear at the top of the table. Adam Brown’s sending off reduced Naysmith’s side to ten men after 76 minutes, but they saw out the match, securing a fifth straight League 2 win in the process.

Speaking to Warriors TV, the boss said: “The credit, the biggest amount of thanks, has to go to the volunteers, the fans, the board and the groundsman Jim (MacKay) for getting the game on. When you saw the difference in the pitch from 7.30am to when we took to the pitch at 3pm – the amount of work that put in by everyone was incredible really.

“We said to the players that the best way we could repay the fans was to go out and get the three points and they managed to do that. I would to thank them personally because it was a momentous effort to get the game on.”

He added: “They (Bonnyrigg) are a very difficult team to play against and there was little in the game. At half time I felt we were deservedly in front. We had control in the first half but probably not so much in the second half. We did miss a few good chances to go two goals up.

“We lost Adam Brown to the red card and by that point Bonnyrigg had already brought on attacking player after attacking player and they started to go direct. We had to make changes to see the game out and it would have silly to think that we could have went and got a second goal.

“The players stood tall and got us over the finishing line again. That’s five wins in a row which is big achievement in any league. There is so much to be happy with.

"I was delighted for Matty (Aitken) adding goals to his game. He is a player that I always liked the look of as an opposition manager – he always caused my teams trouble.”

Both Adam Brown and Nat Wedderburn were presented with token shirts for reaching 100 appearances for Stenhousemuir and Naysmith says building a successful teams requires having players around like them, who know what the club is all about.

“You cannot have 15-16 new players come into a club each summer,” he said. “You need people to have a feel for the club. It is fantastic achievement for both of them and they have mainstays in the team since I came to the club."

Stenhousemuir now travel to Dumbarton next Saturday afternoon (kick-off 3pm) as they look to extend their lead at the top of the fourth tier.