After a wait of just under three years for a competitive goalless draw, the Diamonds were involved in another three weeks later. 

 

Recent signings Ross Brown, Willie Muir and Chris O’Neil strengthened the Diamonds bench while Darryl Duffy and Dale Carrick were paired up again for home debuts. 

 

The outcome of the match was always going to come down to which side could best manage the extremely windy conditions and neither were able to gain that advantage

 

A long ball in the opening minute picked out skipper Scott Stewart who was fouled as he headed the ball to Jake Hastie. Play was allowed to continue and Hastie’s shot from the edge of the box curled just wide of David Hutton’s goal.

 

Arbroath’s Mark Whatley latched on to the ball on four minutes and send a 20-yard volley well over the Airdrie goal.

 

Luke Watt gathered the ball in midfield after 28 minutes then ran towards goal and while he was able to drill a low powerful 25 yard shot on target the ball, was taken cleanly by Hutton. 

 

Sean McIntosh was on the end of a Hastie corner on 36 minutes and his header was taken comfortably by Hutton.

 

Three minutes of the half remained when the Arbroath keeper was guilty of catching the ball outside of his box and was flagged accordingly. No card was shown and the free kick awarded was driven powerfully but just wide of goal by Darryl Duffy.

 

Two minutes into the second half, Ryan Wallace made space outside the box but had his effort blocked.

 

At the other end Duffy was alert to intercept the ball in the final third but his cut back across goal was cleared.

 

After 51 minutes Airdrie broke after Dale Carrick picked out Duffy and as he made headway for goal he had support on either side but after reaching the box saw his effort on goal blocked then cleared.

 

On the hour Omar Kader did well on the left then saw his shot for goal blocked and deflected for a corner.

 

Gavin Swankie lobbed the ball wide of the target in 71 minutes following some indecision in the Airdrie defence.

 

McIntosh made a timely interception at the back in 77 minutes when Wallace looked set to get a shot in.

 

As full-time approached, both sides rang the changes in an effort to win the match. 

 

Four minutes remained when Jordan McGregor picked up a second booking for handball, and having received one in the first half for a foul, a red card followed. Colin Hamilton blasted the free kick over the wall and well over Rohan Ferguson’s goal. 

 

Four minutes were added and in the final minute of stoppage time Swankie was on target from inside the box but Rohan Ferguson made a decent save to ensure the Diamonds would take a point.     

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Referee: Mr Steven Reid

Attendance: 850