East Fife 1-1 Stenhousemuir: Dick Campbell's side peg back League Two leaders to pick up a point

In what was new manager Dick Campbell’s first match in charge after taking over from Greig McDonald last Tuesday evening, the Fifers managed to hold on for a 1-1 draw despite a second-half onslaught from the visitors late on.

The Warriors got off the the perfect start after just five minutes when captain Ross Meechan’s glancing header from a Matty Yates corner kick flew past the helpless Allan Fleming in net.

But East Fife rallied and grabbed a deserved leveller four minutes before the break when star striker Nathan Austin netted his tenth league goal of the campaign. Alan Trouten’s through pass cut out the defence and Austin did well to slot home on the angle.

In the second half, Campbell’s team managed to stem Stenny’s attacking prowess, and they could have even nicked the three points at the death when Trouten and Jonathan Page both saw efforts flash wide during injury-time.

“We didn’t get beaten, and that was very important to the football club,” manager Campbell told East Fife TV. “It was test against the league leaders. We were better than Stenhousemuir in the first half.

"In the second half, Stenhousemuir were better than us. We managed the game alright but you would have to say that we were holding on for that final 20/25 minute period of the match.

"You can’t complain about a 1-1 draw against the league leaders. My job is to get the best out of what I have got but as I said I was very encouraged today, it put a smile on my face.”

Next up for East Fife, who sit seventh in the table having collected 26 points from their 24 outings, is a trip to fifth-placed Bonnyrigg Rose this Saturday, with kick-off in Midlothian at 3pm.

Robbie Horn’s side come into the match on the back of a 2-0 defeat in the Scottish Cup fifth round at the hands of Premiership giants Aberdeen. The last meeting between the sides saw the Rosey Posey run out convincing 3-0 winners at Bayview back in December last year.