Goals from Martin Hardie, Liam Coogans and Lewis Coult made it back-to-back home wins for Airdrieonians.

The Diamonds made three changes to the team which started the 1-0 defeat to East Fife at New Bayview last Saturday.

Gregor Buchanan, Grant Drummond and Jamie Bain were replaced by Chris O'Neil, David Sinclair and striker Jim Lister.

The home side came close to opening the scoring in the fourth minute. A Sinclair ball dropped in behind for Nathan Blockley, who got the better of Gerry McLauchlan, with his lob bouncing off the bar.

Hardie drove wide in the 18th minute but broke the deadlock four minutes later when his free-kick, from around 30 yards, was parried in off the post by City keeper Graeme Smith.

Airdrie were the better team and doubled their lead in the 33rd minute thanks to some quite brilliant strike play from teenager Coogans.

The 16-year-old, with his back to goal, accepted a Hardie pass from Sinclair's short corner before turning sharply and unleashing a fierce shot which smashed in off the bar.

However, Brechin made it 2-1 just before the break. Jonathan Brown's long, diagonal free-kick was nodded down by Paul McLean for Andy Jackson to turn the ball home.

The second half was a hard-fought affair and the Diamonds needed on-loan Rangers custodian Scott Gallacher to pull off two good saves to keep them ahead.

In the 80th minute, Gallacher got down to his right-hand side quickly to block McLauchlan's effort from a Jackson cutback.

The 24-year-old was in top form again five minutes later with a fine stop from Brown after Brechin had made their way into the area.

Relief, at last, for Airdrie came in the final minute. A counter-attacking move saw Coogans denied by Smith with Coult hitting the bar but the big striker was alert to convert the rebound.

Colin Paterson at New Broomfield.

Photographs © Robert Dalzell. Click to view full size.