Francesc Fabregas

The very definition of a "game of two halves". Stenhousemuir were rotten in the first, could barely string two passes together and were always second to first and second balls, but far better after the interval and ultimately deserved the win. Albion Rovers will probably be perplexed as to why they didn't take something from the game, with some heroic last-ditch defending and the woodwork prevented them from scoring. I've said it a number of times this season - they're a better side than their league position would suggest. The Rovers were streets ahead in the first half. Blair Malcolm dominated proceedings, with everything going through him, and Charlie Reilly was a threat on the left. Although they didn't really test our goalkeeper, they had us pegged back for long spells and we couldn't find any rhythm. Rovers played through the middle with ease and our ball players couldn't get into the match. Reilly could have scored when put through on goal but Callum Yeats made a superb interception, bursting ahead of him and toeing the ball away. The introduction of Ross Forbes and Kian Speirs at half time turned the game in our favour. By clogging up the midfield, Malcolm didn't have the space he'd enjoyed earlier and Joe Bevan, who'd shown some nice touches in the first half, became isolated. The pressure led to the first goal - the Rovers failed to clear a corner and Nat Wedderburn was allowed to come in onto his left, come in onto his left again, and come in onto his left a little bit more, before hitting a low drive from the edge of the area and into the net. Matty Yates scored a superb second just minutes later, running onto Forbes' wonderful reverse and finishing hard. The Rovers had a couple of chances - Yeats somehow cleared a Reilly shot off the line (I have no idea how the ball did not go in) and the winger had a free-kick crack off the bar towards the end - but it wasn't to be. Stenny could have increased their lead but Jack Leighfield got a strong hand to Will Sewell's curling effort. It's a pity the club no longer publishes the match highlights as it would have been a fun game to watch back. As others have pointed out, we would have lost that match under the previous management. I'm pleased with what Gary Naysmith is doing at the club so far - he came into the Wee Bar after the match to applause from supporters and said something like: "I wouldn't be applauding that, we were shite", and I like the standards he's setting. The only black mark so far has been the goalkeeper - it's quite clear Curtis Lyle doesn't have it and he almost cost us with his poor kicking and lazy approach to clearing his lines. Tam Orr was quite subdued and didn't really get into the match and signing another striker is a priority. The squad is pretty thin at the moment and some reinforcements to see us through the rest of the season would be helpful (and I imagine this is something we're working on). Nevertheless, a welcome three points and a good weekend all in. Bring on Bonnyrigg!

Hello all, this is a polite reminder that A View from the Terrace is on screens tonight @ 10:30pm on the BBC Scotland channel. I'm pleased to report that popular panelist Shaughan McGuigan has recovered from his ailments and will be back in the studio this evening. I hope to see you there!

Euan O'Reilly has signed a contract extension with the club, taking him up to the end of the 2024/25 season. I think this is broadly a good move. While O'Reilly hasn't necessarily been at his most productive this campaign, he's a very likeable player and is capable of making something out of nothing. Adam Corbett and Nicky Jamieson next, please (and Mikey Miller too, if he isn't signed up already)!

It's a big lower-mid-table clash as Stenhousemuir welcome Albion Rovers to Ochilview on Saturday. Both matches between the sides have been tight so far this season, with Stenny recording a narrow victory on the opening day followed by an exciting 2-2 draw in Coatbridge in October. I've always said the Rovers are a better side than their league placing suggests and we'll need to show a lot more if we want to get the win. We've done well in our last few matches against some of the division's better sides but we must turn these draws into victories if we're serious about sneaking into the top four (and moving away from trouble!) We lost poor goals in both matches and we haven't been ruthless enough in attack to cancel them out. After his gaffe against Forfar Athletic, I believe that Curtis Lyle is now a weak link and the Rovers will try to take advantage of this, especially at set-pieces (or even just "shooting", come to think of it). Man for man, however, I believe we have a team good enough to get the win. I can't see Gary Naysmith making any changes from Saturday's XI, unless there are injuries: - Tam Orr - - Euan O'Reilly - Matty Yates - Adam Brown - - Nat Wedderburn - Mikey Miller - - Callum Yeats - Nicky Jamieson - Sean Crighton - Adam Corbett - - Curtis Lyle - I'll be disappointed if we don't collect the three points from this one, in all honesty. Home win.

Aye, dreadful stuff from Curtis Lyle. I've had my doubts about him after seeing him fail to deal with crossballs and set-pieces but this confirms it: he will not do. It's hard to believe we've used six goalies in the past two seasons and only one of them has been any good. A draw yesterday was the fairest outcome but we created some decent chances and forced Mark McCallum into one or two good saves, especially when Mikey Miller's goal-bound effort was suddenly scooped up and away on the line. There were a couple of hairy moments at points and Forfar Athletic had us on the back foot but I would have taken a point going into the game, so I'm not too disappointed. Sean Crighton was our best player yesterday - he took his goal well, could have had a second, and generally did well with anything the Loons chucked at him - and Nat Wedderburn was classy in midfield, rarely giving away the ball and always finding a pass. Fair play to Ross Forbes, he's been brought to the club for his long passing and ability from dead balls, and he was rubbish at both. We're definitely in need of reinforcements, especially in attack, as we had no-one to make a difference off the bench. I do hope Gary Naysmith has some irons in the fire!

Hello all, this is a polite reminder to say A View from the Terrace is on this evening @ 10:30pm on the BBC Scotland channel. Someone in the know has told me it's another "really good episode" with "laughter in all the right places". You'd be a fool to watch anything else this tonight!

Nah, not really. You'd be hard pushed to find a Stenhousemuir supporter with anything positive to say about Stephen Swift's time at Ochilview. If you're inclined, go back a couple of pages to December last year when he was dismissed for a full assessment of his tenure but in short, he was a man out of his depth, despite ample support from the board. There were a couple of times where we'd put together a good series of results but we couldn't do it when it mattered. I thought we'd be challenging for the title this season; instead we're scratching around to get into the play-offs. If you are looking for a glimmer of light, Swift might work well with a small budget - he'd put together a decent team at BSC Glasgow on a relative shoestring and I suppose he could do something similar at Clyde if he's being lined up to replace Jim Duffy.

Aye, I'd noticed it against Kelty Hearts and wondered if it might have been a 4G/WiFi issue, but Homer Thompson (a great username from one of the all-time great episodes of The Simpsons) has explained the situation.

Not sure if this is the best time to ask, but why is the Queen of the South Twitter account so slow with its updates? Hamilton Accies' account is tweeting about tonight's match moving into extra time while Queens are tweeting about an incident in the 77th minute.

Exactly! While Adam Corbett did foul Kalvin Orsi, it certainly did not warrant a yellow card. I just wish those two Dumbarton weirdos would listen! That's what happens when you can't be bothered actually going to the games, I suppose.

The battle for the remaining play-off spots intensifies as Forfar Athletic welcome Stenhousemuir to Station Park on Saturday. Just three points separate the sides, and a win for the Warriors could see them leapfrog their opponents and into fourth place. Stenny won on their last visit to Angus (but I'm not sure that really counts as that was during the death spiral of Gary Irvine's dismal time in charge). Under Mr Raymond McKinnon, Forfar look far more capable right across the pitch, and they should fancy their chances of delivering a fatal blow to our promotion ambitions. That said, we should be confident going into this one too. We look a better side under Gary Naysmith than we did earlier in the season - we look better organised, the players seem to be performing with a fire in their bellies, and we're just good fun to watch! We secured a point against Dumbarton at the weekend courtesy of a 94th-minute equaliser, something that just wouldn't have happened previously - I've been impressed with the players' attitude and application since Naysmith took charge. The only change we might make from Saturday's XI is at left-back. Jordon Lowdon could start ahead of Callum Yeats, who might benefit from a spell out of the team. My own preference would to have Adam Brown through the middle and Matty Yates wide on the right but I don't think we'll so that: - Tam Orr - - Euan O'Reilly - Matty Yates - Adam Brown - - Nat Wedderburn - Mikey Miller - - Jordan Lowdon - Nicky Jamieson - Sean Crighton - Adam Corbett - - Curtis Lyle - Given how well Forfar have done in recent weeks, I'd take a point here, but a win would be a real statement result. Let's do it!

Another chump who didn't actually attend the match but has plenty to say about it!

You've answered your own question here, hombre. Maybe pipe down while the grown-ups are talking?

Does anyone know if Dumbarton likely to have a highlights package from yesterday's game?

I'm sorry to hear you were upset by the actions of seven-year-old children.

A question for @CEMSFC - will there be extended highlights of the Dumbarton match? Or is the goals-only video our lot?

I really enjoyed yesterday's game. Although it was low on goalmouth action, it was an absorbing contest between two decent sides and a draw was the fairest outcome. Other than a 10-minute spell at the beginning of each half, I thought Stenhousemuir were the better side, knocking the ball around well and enjoying long spells of possession. albeit without ever threatening. That's twice I've seen Dumbarton this season and I haven't been particularly impressed by them but they're a big side, a cynical side, and they'll have the know-how to win the title. There are a lot of dislikable players in their ranks but that's all part of the fun, isn't it? When Peter Grant was brought on, I wondered about the merits of sacrificing control in the middle of the park for an extra defender but, ultimately, if you're not going to pick up your opponent's best attacker inside the penalty box, you're going to be in bother. Matty Yates' goal was one of the best moments of the season (which says a lot about how the campaign's gone so far) and there really does appear to be a good feeling about the club since Gary Naysmith has come in. Neilly's right, it's difficult not to look at the table and feel disappointed because with the money spent on this team, and the quality of the sides around us, we should really be challenging for the title. Instead, we're looking to sneak into the play-off places - it's not ideal but it's doable. As an aside, I thought the referee was pretty poor. There are a number of questionable calls for both sides but the decision to book Adam Corbett five minutes into the match for fouling Gregg Wylde after a slip baffled me. That's lower-league Scottish football, baby!

Apparently it finished 2-2, with Euan O'Reilly and Adam Brown scoring for the Warriors. I've no idea what the teams were but it was only 40 minutes each half, for some reason.

Niyah Joseph has signed for East Stirlingshire. Fair play to him, I predicted he'd pitch up at Cumbernauld Colts, so I wasn't too far off!

The only teams Liam Brown can play for this season are Queen's Park and Stenhousemuir.

Having previously brought in dud full-backs from BSC Glasgow and East Kilbride, I thought signing someone from Airdrieonians would represent a big step up in quality; I was wrong. Scott Walker was dozy on the ball, weak defensively, and your heart sunk when he was in the starting XI or coming off the bench. As Nigel Blackwell says, his half-hearted attempt to stop Finlay Gray scoring in the Dumbarton game will be what he's best remembered for. I wish him well and hope he does Cowdenbeath a turn. Fair play to Stephen Swift, for every one useful player he brought in, there are about 15 other dumplings. For someone who was a decent full-back during his playing career, he couldn't sign a good one if he tried.

I'm looking forward to this game. A couple of weeks ago, I would have been dreading this kind of encounter but we appear reinvigorated under our new manager and everything about Stenhousemuir feels far more positive. We did not give a good account of ourselves last time we faced Dumbarton and lost three dreadful goals, including one of the worst I've ever seen, when little Finlay Gray was allowed to jog from inside his own half to finish, and I'd like to think we can make amends this time around. Gary Naysmith has largely used the same players throughout his tenure and he'll do the same here. The only changes he'll make are Sean Crighton in for Dan Higgins at centre-back and, maybe, in attack, with Tam Orr in for Will Sewell (or another striker, should we sign one). - Will Sewell - - Euan O'Reilly - Adam Brown - Matty Yates - - Nat Wedderbun - Mikey Miller - - Callum Yeats - Sean Crighton - Nicky Jamieson - Adam Corbett - - Curtis Lyle - I'm under no illusions about how difficult this will be but, conversely, I don't see why we can't give Dumbarton something to think about.

Fair play to everyone associated with Stenhousemuir FC today. A handy performance, a welcome three points and a clean sheet - there's not too much you can complain about! After an even first half, one that we were perhaps fortunate to have taken the lead in, we were the best side in the second and ultimately deserved the win. We generally played well, created a number of good chances and limited Elgin City to potshots from range; Curtis Lyle didn't have a serious save to make all afternoon. A number of Stenhousemuir players turned in good performances. Adam Corbett was my man of the match at right-back, Mikey Miller has excelled in central midfield since Gary Naysmith took charge, and Nicky Jamieson largely kept Kane Hester quiet, but it was our substitutions that turned in the contest in our favour. Sean Crighton, introduced at half time, was excellent at centre-back and gives us that security that Dan Higgins simply lacks, while Tam Orr and Ross Forbes combined to set up Mikey Anderson for the second goal. It was a tremendously worked move and it might be the best we've scored so far this season. I'm really pleased for Anderson - he seems like a nice guy and I hope he can make an impact over this second half of the season. Elgin are a decent side - they're well organised and compact and really stifled us in the first half, and they probably should have taken the lead when Hester took advantage of some uncertain defending but inexplicably hammered the ball over the bar. Ross Draper did well at the back and kept Will Sewell in check and Russell Dingwall showed some nice touches in midfield but they were ultimately overwhelmed in the second half. I like what we're doing under Gary Naysmith. The players look motivated and are playing with a fire in their bellies (Miller especially) and it's vital we maintain our good form in the coming weeks. There are two play-off places up for grabs and I reckon it'll be a four-way dance between ourselves, Annan Athletic, Forfar Athletic and Elgin. The league will begin to fracture as we move into February and we must make sure we're still in contention. We still need a striker and maybe a central midfielder to give us the bodies we need going forward.

Niyah Joseph has left the club: This is no real loss, I'm sorry to say. Joseph made little impression during his time at Stenhousemuir and watching him in action, it seemed unfathomable he was playing in the Championship last season with Queen of the South. I imagine he'll end up at someone like Cumbernauld Colts. I hope we can reinvest his wage (and the Craig Bryson/Liam Brown loot) in recruiting players who can make the first XI better and kick us onto another level, not just "give us options". Hopefully Gary Naysmith has a few irons in the fire!

We've signed Kian Speirs on loan from Motherwell until the end of the season. The 18-year-old central midfielder will come into the squad for today's Scottish Cup tie against Livingston. I hope he can do us a good turn.