The Diamonds sent the Spiders home empty handed, dishing out Queen’s Park’s first Under 19s defeat of the season on a sunny Wednesday morning at the Albert Bartlett.

Under 17s full-back Valentino Taouss retained his spot from last week’s defeat to St Johnstone, meanwhile Cade Melrose made his third appearance for Alan Gow’s side. Anthony Harris dropped out of the squad and is facing a spell on the sidelines.

The opening stages of the match were very cagey, with neither side carving the other open – Melrose did well to hold a strike from range in the first sight of goal for either team on 16 minutes.

Queens ‘keeper Archie Aitchison was off his line swiftly to dive at the feet of Michael McQueen as the Diamonds frontman looked to have an effort on goal.

Melrose was called into action once again in the 21st minute, as he managed to parry Daniel Edzii’s strike away from goal before reacting to claw the rebound to safety.

Euan Hamilton saw his attempt stifled by a defender a minute later, before he made up the ground to defend a dangerous cross up the other end moments later.

Deryn McConnell rose highest to glance Ronald Nimyel’s inch-perfect delivery towards goal on 34 minutes, but the Diamonds defender saw his header drift just wide.

Aitchison and Melrose traded saves as the first half drew to a close, with the sides level after an even opening 45.

16-year-old Taouss was beaten on the right by an opposing winger, but the defender fouled his man, taking a yellow card for the team.

The match needed a moment of quality to break the deadlock and it came in the 53rd minute – Diamonds winger Nimyel received the ball on the touchline before bursting through the middle and driving the ball into the top corner from 30 yards.

The Spiders weren’t long in making changes, as a quintuple sub was readied soon after Nimyel’s thunderous strike, meanwhile Airdrie made four changes of their own which saw Szymon Walczak, Jacob Bonad, Adam Smith and Robbi O’Brien enter the fray.

The visitors managed to get themselves level on 64 minutes, as Euan Hamilton’s touch was pounced upon in the midfield before Luke Moore curled one into the far corner with a lovely finish past Melrose.

Three minutes later, Dylan Baldwin hooked the ball towards McQueen who left his man for dead before lashing into the bottom corner to give Airdrie their lead back.

Baldwin was cynically hacked down off the ball with 15 minutes to play, but referee Roark McShane didn’t see the challenge – prompting Baldwin to get his own revenge as he left a late one on Queen’s Park’s Lucas Breeds, earning himself a caution.

Another young talent in Stephen McKay was introduced 77 minutes in, the technical midfielder replacing Baldwin.

Melrose pulled off a world class stop with just over ten minutes to go, as a header looked destined to find the net before he leapt towards his right-hand side and clawed the ball from the line.

Substitute Bonad had a couple of half-chances which were blocked and saved as Airdrie pushed for a third to seal their points.

Chisholm was alert up the other end with five minutes to go as he made a heroic challenge on a Spiders attacker who looked to be clean through on Melrose.

Chisholm and Hamilton offered up yet more excellent defending as the clock ticked towards stoppage time, the Diamonds just about hanging onto their slender lead.

A cross to the back post was scuffed wide with the last kick of the ball, as the referee blew his whistle to confirm Airdrie’s fantastic victory over the league’s strongest side – meaning the Spiders had lost their first match of the season.

Airdrie will look to take momentum from what was a superb result into their final two league fixtures before the split, as they make a bid to finish in the top half of the table.