Stenhousemuir FC: Gary Naysmith admits feeling 'a little bit frustrated' after 1-1 draw with Forfar Athletic

Stenhousemuir manager Gary Naysmith (Photo: Alan Murray)

The Warriors’ 1-1 draw with Ray McKinnon’s side – who are now ten matches unbeaten despite their mid-table position – sees the Ochilview side still sit 15 points clear at the top of League Two as they slowly close in on the fourth tier title.

But former Scotland full-back Naysmith admits he was left irked after the match.

"At the time I felt like we had dropped two points against the league’s form team, and looking back on it now, it still feels the same,” he said. “I thought the early part of the game was a bit of a battle, the referee (Alex Shepherd) didn’t let the game flow.

Stenhousemuir's 1-1 draw with Forfar keeps them 15 points clear at the top (Photo: Alan Murray)

"We did score a well-worked goal from James Berry and we did deserve out lead at half time.

"I actually took James off partly because I thought the referee would send someone off. I took a note of the players who were booked at half time because I didn’t want us to go down to ten men.

"I was pleased for him to get his goal and we are playing him in a slightly different position at the moment but it is something that we think he can do.

"We also started the second half well and it was a pretty even game but we had made a silly tackle and lost a guy from a free-kick and it has cost us in the end.

"We finished the game strongly to try and win the match but it wasn’t to be for us.”

Stenhousemuir now host second-placed Peterhead, who ended the Warriors’ club record winning 12-game winning run back in January at Balmoor, but Naysmith says he is simply treating it like any other match.

A victory for the hosts would all-but seal the title for the champions-elect, who then travel to Dumbarton knowing glory is within their grasps.

“We know that if we win it we can get 18 points ahead of them with six games to go -we want to get as many points as we can as early as we can,” he said. “It has been close between the sides this season, we’ve won one, drawn one and lost one. I think we’ve possibly had a little bit more consistency.

"They drew 1-1 with East Fife last weekend who have have been on a good run.”