A season that started with so much promise for Forfar Athletic has already turned into a nightmare opening for their league campaign.
Excellent cup displays, including the win over Rangers and twice running Championship side Dundee close, have not been replicated in the league.
It means the Loons find themselves joint bottom of the table with just one point from a possible 12.
Saturday’s defeat to Stenhousemuir again showed Jekyll and Hyde tendencies, although confined to one game this time as Forfar were woeful in the first half and dominated the second period.
The damage was done before the break as two goals in two minutes from Sean Higgins and Darren Smith had the Warriors ahead, Ian Campbell converting Forfar’s fourth penalty award in a week in the second half.
Forfar manager Dick Campbell said his side had not done well enough to take anything from the game.
“It was possibly a game of two halves, yes, but we just could not handle John Gemmell in the first half. If we did not deserve to take something from a game I will say so and I thought Stenhousemuir were better than us today.
“The two goals they got were very easy but we got chances too and did not take them. We did not do enough to take anything out of the game. Stenny looked better than us. There was a bit of quality lacking in the forward area.”
A dull opening half finally sprung into life at the half hour mark. Sean Higgins drilled Stenny ahead from 16 yards as the ball bobbled across a crowded box. Then barely a minute later, the visitors were two up when Darren Smith capitalised on more poor Forfar defending and hit home from six yards out.
Iain Campbell did reduce the deficit in the 56th minute from the penalty spot after substitute James Dale was upended. With just minutes left Gavin Swankie screwed a shot past the foot of the post with just the keeper to beat.