Airdrie's Reserve team go into their winter break on a high, knowing that last night's penalty point leaves them one win away from the Challenge Cup final.

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Cammy Russell's goal earned the Diamonds a 1-1 draw with East Kilbride at K-Park, and now the side face an early return to action as they take on Ayr for the chance to top the table and proceed to the final against Livingston.

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The sides agreed to replay the match - which ended in a 1-1 draw earlier in the season - after an officiating error rendered the result null and void. The replay will take place at Penny Cars Stadium on Monday, January 7.

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The squad resume their Reserve League Two campaign with a return to K-Park to play East Kilbride on Tuesday, January 29.

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It's been a season of ups and downs for the second string as they adjust to life after the Development League structure was discontinued in favour of the Reserve League setup.

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Under the management of James Grant and Graham Scott, some impressive results for the Diamonds include a 7-0 win over Albion Rovers and a 4-0 victory over East Kilbride, but the young side have also tasted narrow defeats on occasion. A further disappointment came when a thrilling win over Raith Rovers was reversed after an admin oversight led to an unregistered player taking part.

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While the main focus of the Reserve squad is to ready players for the step up to the first team, it's always a bonus to compete for silverware, so it's all to play for when the Diamonds return to action next month.