Dunfermline bombarded the visiting goal but Stenhousemuir held on to pick up a point at East End Park after 90 minutes of one-way traffic.
“It was a frustrating game” said Pars midfielder Shaun Byrne.
“We probably had more possession than we’ve ever had against any team but it just never fell for us today.
“They sat so deep but we had great opportunities to score and on another day we could have had three or four.”
Jim Jefferies’ promotion-chasing team began the day 20 points clear of their fifth-placed visitors, and the match reflected that disparity in the table early on.
Lawrence Shankland found himself one on one with Chris Smith in the opening minutes, but the former Dunfermline goalkeeper managed to make the stop with his feet.
The Aberdeen-owned 18-year-old has scored five goals for the Pars this season, and he must have been wondering how the first half ended without taking that tally to six after flashing one shot wide from the corner of the box before poking just past the post when a hopeful ball forward from Callum Morris fell kindly in the box.
The previous three games between these two teams had yielded 17 goals, and there were chances aplenty here.
Early in the second half a corner from Byrne led to some penalty box pinball and Danny Grainger did well to steer an instinctive effort goalward, only to see it bounce off the inside of the post.
Grainger went from near-taker to near-maker soon after, breaking free down the left-wing before whipping in a wicked cross, but it flew past Andy Geggan and Ryan Thomson.
After being beaten 3-1 by promotion rivals Stranraer last week, the pressure was on Jefferies’ men, and they continued to pepper the Stenny goal.
Left-back Grainger has impressed since his winter signing from St Mirren, and he nearly added his third goal in five games when he picked up Ross McMillan’s headed clearance on the edge of the box, but his volley sailed just wide, much to the consternation of Byrne.
At the other end Jonathon Page made a crucial block inside the box when substitute Errol Douglas was given a chance to steal the points at the death, but the game ended 0-0 with Dunfermline the much more frustrated party.
Stenny are five points off the promotion play-off place, while the Pars remain Rangers’ nearest challengers, 22 points back, and travel to Ibrox next week.