Airdrie face Partick Thistle in Friday night’s televised fixture, and Rhys Armstrong believes the Diamonds can come out on top of a tricky tie.

Last week’s postponement means Danny Lennon’s reign as Airdrie manager continues with another away fixture, having lost narrowly at Arbroath a fortnight ago.

Midfielder Armstrong says the delay has been a double-edged sword for a squad adapting to life under the new boss.

“It has been frustrating, I think after a loss you always want the next game to come quickly, to put the last game to bed and get into a rhythm.

“On the other side of things it’s probably been helpful for us and the gaffer to have an extra week to work together, and to understand more of what he expects from us as a team.”

With the Gayfield fixture coming only three days – and two training sessions – after Lennon’s appointment, Armstrong says there wasn’t much time for the new man to get his ideas across.

“I think leading into the Arbroath game, with the little time we had on the pitch, it was more about structure without the ball – but we have been working on a lot more of on-the-ball stuff with the week we had without a game.

“Preparations have been good – as I was saying the extra week to work on things with the gaffer has helped.”

And even with Airdrie on a long run of visits to Firhill without a win, Rhys says the squad remain confident ahead of the Friday night tie.

“As always we’re expecting a tough game away to Thistle, they’ve picked up some good results and started the season well – but we’ll be going there to try to implement our gameplan and get the result. “

“The boys are feeling good, and we’re ready to go and get our season up and running.”

Partick are another side who have seen recent managerial changes, with former Diamonds boss Mark Wilson given the hotseat on a permanent basis after a spell in caretaker charge alongside Brian Graham.

Graham, so often a thorn in Airdrie’s side over his Thistle career, has since moved on to a playing role at Falkirk, and Wilson will face his old side alone.

Airdrie manager Danny Lennon is looking to get his own new club back to winning ways against a team he served with distinction as a player in the early 2000s – and he hopes to rekindle similar memories of good times among the Diamonds support.

“We’ve had a lot of valuable time on the training pitch with both players and staff, really focusing on the lessons from our last game.

“The extended break has also allowed me to assess the group and begin to get my own personality across in the team – organised, playing with real energy and passion… qualities that our fans can identify with from some of the great successful Airdrie teams of the past.

“Thistle have started well, and we respect the run they’re on. They’re a settled side with clear strengths, but our job is to identify those and look to exploit any weaknesses.

“For us, it’s about showing our identity, competing with passion, energy, and quality. With the game live on TV, it’s a great opportunity to show people what we’re about.”

The manager also confirmed that good progress is being made among Airdrie’s injured players, with Dylan MacDonald, Alex King, and Aaron Reid all hoping to be fit for selection following absences of varying lengths.

Referee Grant Irvine is already making his second appearance at an Airdrie match this season, having officiated July’s Premier Sports Cup win over Montrose.

Match tickets are available using the link below, and our DiamondsTV video (subscribers outwith the UK and Ireland) and audio (pay-per-match worldwide) streams are available.