First league defeat for Bartley's Stenny as Raith head to Ochilview for top-of-the-table clash
Sunday 11 October 2026 · By Lewis Orr
Every unbeaten run ends eventually. For Stenhousemuir, it ended in the rain in Inverness on Saturday.
Marvin Bartley's part-time side lost 2–0 to Inverness Caledonian Thistle, their first defeat of the William Hill Championship season. They're still top of the table on 22 points from nine games, but their lead is down to two points, and second-placed Raith Rovers are coming to Ochilview next Saturday.
Both goals came in the first half. Adam Mackinnon fired in a low shot from around 12 yards on 26 minutes, and Calum MacLeod headed in an Alfie Stewart corner nine minutes later. It was MacLeod's first goal of the season.
Credit where it's due: Inverness were very good on the day. Their manager Scott Kellacher told the Press and Journal that if it "wasn't for their goalkeeper", his side might have scored "another one or two in the first half". The Stenny goalkeeper made a series of saves that kept them in the game.
Kellacher was also generous about his opponents. "They're top of the league for a reason. They're organised, they work hard, they're a very good side," he said.
We haven't seen any comment from Bartley yet, so we won't put words in his mouth. But the context matters. Before Saturday, Stenny had drawn their opening game and then won seven league games in a row. Bartley had just picked up his second Manager of the Month award. One defeat away to a strong Inverness side doesn't undo all that.
It's also worth remembering where Stenny have come from. They were promoted from League One last season, and plenty expected them to struggle. Instead, they've spent most of the autumn at the top of the table and built one of the meanest defences in the division, with just four goals conceded in nine games.
Now the schedule gets very tough, very quickly. Raith visit Ochilview on Saturday 17 October at 15:00 in a first-against-second meeting. Dougie Imrie's side beat Queen's Park on Saturday to close the gap, and they're the division's top scorers.
After that, Stenny go to Partick Thistle on 24 October, then host Dunfermline on Tuesday 27 October and Livingston on Friday 30 October. That's four games in 14 days, three of them against teams in the top six. For a part-time squad, that's a big ask.
How Stenny respond to Saturday will say a lot about how long they can stay in the title race. The good news is they don't have to wait long to find out. A win against Raith next weekend would put them five points clear and make Inverness look like a blip.
A defeat would make the race much tighter. Either way, Ochilview should be rocking next Saturday. These are the kinds of games a part-time club dreams about, and Stenny have earned the right to be in them.
Ochilview Park has been home to Stenhousemuir since 1890, on the edge of town beside Asda, Tim Hortons and B&M. The Warriors play in maroon and white. It is a lower-league ground in the old style: one covered seated stand, one covered terrace, and two open sides. The pitch is artificial, FIFA two-star 3G, about 101 by 66 metres. Capacity is 3,746, with 626 seats in the Norway Stand. A routine league gate is a few hundred.
Visiting supporters are usually in the covered terrace at the Tryst Road End, the west end. The club calls it the Terrace Stand. Since December 2023 it has also been the Donald Smillie Enclosure, named for a lifelong supporter. It is standing only. The roof went on in 2004–05, and the goal is directly in front of you. Toilets are on the left as you come in, below the Welcome to Stenhousemuir sign. Any away seats are in the Norway Stand. League games are often unsegregated, so use the turnstile on your ticket. You cannot switch ends once you are inside.
The Norway Stand is the only seating. It runs along the south touchline, covering about half the pitch and straddling the halfway line, so you watch across the game rather than down it. Opened in 1996–97, it is named for Stenhousemuir’s Norwegian supporters’ club, who helped pay for it. The seats were renewed in 2020. It is all-seater: do not take a season-ticket seat. Disabled spaces for home and away are at the front; ask the office, and ask too if you need disabled parking. The old stand opposite, the Doll’s House, came down in 1999. That north side is now car parking, with the dugouts on the touchline. The east end, behind the other goal, is open and not normally used.
Turnstiles open an hour before kick-off and close ten minutes after. Pay cash on the gate, or buy in the FanBase app and show the QR code. Listed league prices have been £18 for adults, £13 for concessions and 16 to 21s, and £5 for under-16s. Cup ties can cost more. The programme, The Warrior, is a donation on the way in. Children under ten need an adult. Umbrellas are not allowed. Small bags are searched. Glass, pyrotechnics and large poles stay outside. Photographs are fine; filming the match is not.
Food is the Pie Hut at the entrance, open to both sets of fans. R. Brown & Son supply the hot food, and the choice changes by the week. Pies, rolls, tea, coffee and Bovril are the staples. The hut is cash only, and you cannot bring your own hot food or drink in. The Wee Bar, under the Norway Stand, takes cash or card and is open before and after the game to both clubs. A social club sits on the corner of the Tryst Road terrace.
Ignore the football-traffic signs. They lead to the Falkirk Stadium. Leave the M876 at junction 2, follow the A88 towards Stenhousemuir, and turn right into Tryst Road after about three quarters of a mile. The ground is at the bottom on the left: Ochilview Park, Tryst Road, Stenhousemuir, FK5 4QL. There is no general car park, so use the streets. Larbert station is under a mile: bear left down King Street. First buses 6, 6A, 7 and 8 stop at Asda opposite. Wrap up. Only the Norway Stand and the away terrace are covered.