ONE'S senses gave conflicting signals at Ochilview on Saturday. The

eyes reported that the setting was wrong and the daylight also seemed

inappropriate, but the ears offered convincing evidence that this was a

European night.

The sound of cow bells ringing and of unfamiliar songs in a foreign

tongue suggested that Forfar somehow had been thrust into the away leg

of a European tie. The explanation was that 50 Norwegian members of the

Stenhousemuir Supporters Club had made one of their quarterly trips to

watch their adopted Scottish team.

The Norwegians know a bit about football -- just check who is top of

England's World Cup qualifying group -- as well as how to enjoy

themselves. They spent the evening at a ceilidh in the Warriors Social

Club.

The overseas visitors were not disappointed by the afternoon's

football. Stenhousemuir won 2-0 and took total charge after 15 minutes

when an Adrian Sprott corner was backheaded by Peter Godfrey for John

Irvine to nod in at the back post. Five minutes after the interval,

Miller Mathieson latched on to a long ball and lobbed advancing keeper

Gordon Arthur from 30 yards.

Forfar gave the ball away rather easily and never really got going.

'Muir manager Terry Christie felt that his team were ''overdue'' a

goal from a corner kick. As when he was in charge of Meadowbank, his

team scored a high proportion of goals from flag kicks.

Stranraer joined Queen of the South and Meadowbank at the top by

maintaining their good record against East Fife. Darren Henderson struck

first but the home side had to come from a goal down to win 3-2 in the

second half.

Poor finishing by both teams at Albion Rovers' ground resulted in

Meadowbank's second successive goalless draw while Queen of the South,

the last visitors to lose at Cowdenbeath 18 months ago, shared six goals

there on Saturday. Injury-hit Cowden led 3-1, but Scotland's top scorer,

Andy Thomson, took his season's tally to 12 with a double. Queens played

for 70 minutes without Steve Mallan, who was sent off by no-nonsense ref

Ian Taylor allegedly for abusive language.

Martin Neil and the visitors' Derek Grant had doubles as Montrose drew

3-3 at Berwick, and Arbroath's Kevin Tindal twice equalised Steve Ramsay

goals for Alloa, whose Andy Willock stepped in for their winner. Queen's

Park were denied a win at home to East Stirlingshire when a Kenny

McDonald penalty equalised Ross Caven's first half goal.