Two first-half goals gave Clyde the platform for a 3-1 win on a frustrating afternoon for the Diamonds.

 

Ally Roy was drafted into Airdrie’s starting line-up with Dean Hawkshaw failing to shake off a knock picked up in last weekend’s win over Peterhead. Patrick Pyott earned a spot on the bench after some impressive recent performances for the reserves.

 

With manager Ian Murray confined to the Broadwood stands following a red card at Raith Rovers earlier in the month, assistant Colin Cameron took the lead on the touchline.

 

Both sides saw efforts blocked in the opening minute, Callum Fordyce getting in front of a Christopher Johnston strike before Martin McNiff deflected Roy’s shot behind at the other end.

 

Seven minutes in, the home side took the lead when defender Alex Petkov rose highest to head a Mark Lamont free-kick across David Hutton and into the net.

 

Leon McCann made great headway down the left six minutes later, but after his pass found Dale Carrick in the box, the striker was quickly closed down and the danger was cleared.

 

Clyde almost doubled their lead on 18 minutes when Lamont went for goal from an angled free-kick, but Hutton scooped the ball off the line before Roy completed the clearance.

 

Three minutes later the Cumbernauld side did have a second, and it was top scorer David Goodwillie who produced a finish of real quality. As a hopeful back-header looped into the box, the former Dundee United man hooked an acrobatic volley around his marker, giving Hutton no chance.

 

The Diamonds keeper was on hand to make a good save from Ally Love on the half-hour mark, diving to his left to push away a powerful drive.

 

Opposite number David Mitchell followed up with heroics of his own six minutes later, making a brave double save to deny Roy and Paul McKay, although the latter seemed to be hauled to the ground as he got his shot away.

 

Roy jinked inside with five-minutes of the half remaining, but his 20-yard effort was deflected wide. From the resultant corner Sean Crighton poked the ball towards goal with the defence only able to block as far as Carrick, who smashed into the top corner from 12 yards.

 

The Diamonds should have been level on the stroke of half-time. Play raged on after the ball struck the hand of Clyde midfielder Ray Grant, with Calum Gallagher rounding the keeper only to snatch at his shot which was blocked on the line by Petkov.

 

Airdrie started the second half as they had ended the first, and Mitchell held well from a 47th-minute Carrick strike.

 

A minute later McCann whipped in another wicked cross, but Callum Smith fired over the bar under pressure from Grant.

 

McKay was next to go close for the visitors, heading Kyle MacDonald’s cross just over.

 

Johnston’s shot was wayward after the attacker had done well to make space on the edge of the box on 56 minutes.

 

Gallagher broke in on goal after good work by Smith on 62 minutes, but the ball fell kindly for Mitchell as Rumsby slid in to challenge.

 

Goodwillie sent a header wide with four minutes remaining before the Diamonds had another handball claim turned down in stoppage time with substitute Pyott sending the loose ball wide on his first-team debut.

 

As Airdrie pressed for a late chance, McKay had to get back quickly to hook the ball off his own goal-line after Darren Smith had beaten the outrushing Hutton to a long ball.

 

Carrick saw another long-range effort deflected into Mitchell’s hands deep into stoppage-time, but it was Goodwillie who grabbed his second and Clyde’s third with the last kick of the ball, peeling off his marker and lifting a perfectly-judged lob over Hutton.

 

The result, coupled with those elsewhere, means there is only a point between first and fourth at the halfway stage, with Raith Rovers, East Fife and Airdrie separated only by goal difference. With the Diamonds now preparing to face Falkirk at the Penny Cars Stadium while Raith make the short journey to East Fife, the final fixtures of 2019 have the potential to be hugely important.