Forfar made their advantage over Airdrie United count at Station Park on Tuesday with a well-deserved three points against Stenhousemuir.
The Loons went into the game two points ahead of Airdrie United with a game in hand in the race for the third play-off spot.
Goals from Chris Templeman and Ryan Dow got Forfar back to winning ways after Saturday’s defeat to Ayr United.
Assistant manager Ian Campbell said, “It was a good hard game and I think we probably deserved to win overall.
“I’m delighted to get a shut-out and to have played as well as we did at this stage of the season.”
He added, “Now we are getting all our players back and there’s a lot of competition for places and that augurs well.”
Forfar almost took the lead on seven minutes when Chris Templeman’s header was tipped past the post by Ally Brown from Martyn Fotheringham’s corner.
Grant Anderson was found in space inside the box after good build-up play by Stenhousemuir a couple of minutes later, but the winger could only fire his low drive wide.
Forfar struck the woodwork in the 25th minute when a close-range header by Bolochoweckyj rattled back off the post from a Fotheringham corner.Delightful chipStenny had a penalty appeal waved away on 33 minutes when Lynch thought he was pulled back in the box while going up for a header.
The Loons took the lead two minutes later, when Ryan Dow was played through on the right and his delightful chip was guided home by the head of Chris Templeman from six-yards.
Five minutes later Greg Ross got down the right and fired in a deep cross, but Martyn Fotheringham could only head wide of Brown’s right-hand post.
The Loons went two up in first-half injury time when Dow found himself in the box with just Brown to beat.
The winger coolly passed the ball past the outcoming Brown into the bottom corner.
There were few clear-cut chances in the opening exchanges of the second-half, with Grant Anderson’s long-range effort on 61 minutes the best either side could muster.
Stenny went close in the 68th minute when Lynch got up well to head a cross goalwards, but Brian Gilmore couldn’t steer it in from close range.
Stenny threw bodies forward and almost paid the price on 78 minutes when Dow’s fierce drive was tipped over the bar by Brown.
Stenny went close late on when Eric Paton’s long-range effort flew just over and Fotheringham’s strike from distance was pushed away by Brown.