There was plenty of blood, sweat and tears but few clear-cut chances as Airdrie and Raith Rovers played out a goalless draw.

Danny Lennon’s first home match in permanent charge of the Diamonds saw the manager name an unchanged starting line-up following last Friday’s defeat at Firhill.

Defender Dylan MacDonald was fit enough for a place on the bench, but goalkeeper Cade Melrose missed out, David Hutton his replacement.

Ex-Diamonds Josh Rae, Callum Fordyce and Dylan Easton lined up for Barry Robson’s Rovers.

The opening chances were exchanged inside the third minute, Sean McGinty clearing after Easton’s free-kick had cannoned around the box, and Chris Mochrie pressuring Ewan Wilson into a mistake from which the on-loan Motherwell defender recovered well to clear the danger.

Matty Connelly took charge after a series of fifth-minute headers in the box, with Lewis Strapp going into the book a minute later following an over-zealous challenge on the touchline.

Strapp came out worst from a clash of heads on ten minutes, but returned to the fray heavily bandaged shortly after.

Mochrie saw a 14th-minute effort deflected wide after working the ball across the edge of the box, and it took a strong block from Connelly to keep out Paul McMullan’s stinging effort four minutes later.

A nice passing move ended with Mochrie’s cutback being blocked and forced behind midway through the half, with Craig Ross heading over from the resultant corner.

McMullan’s 29th-minute challenge was deemed illegal, much to Airdrie’s relief as Jack Hamilton slotted home just after the whistle had sounded.

Hamilton passed up another decent chance three minutes later before Fordyce headed straight into Connelly’s arms with ten minutes of the first half remaining.

Euan Henderson saw a stoppage-time effort held by Rae after Mochrie had teed him up with a deft touch and a diagonal run.

Raith almost took advantage of Wilson’s long throw five minutes after the restart, but two good blocks kept the ball out of the net as the Diamonds defence put bodies on the line.

Raith sub Richard Chin saw his 56th-minute run tracked by Ross, who brilliantly dispossessed the Malaysian international before Fordyce stopped a Lewis McGrattan break in similar fashion.

Scott Brown was yellow carded for a professional foul on Henderson as Airdrie broke in numbers on the hour mark, with the home fans calling for a harsher punishment.

Cole McKinnon’s strike was well blocked on 61 minutes after persistent play from Charlie Telfer, with Brown firing over from Easton’s set-up as the sides continued to trade half-chances.

Airdrie sub MacDonald blocked a goalbound corner with 20 minutes to play, McGrattan and Jamie Barjonas seeing efforts blocked at the other end a minute later.

McGinty’s towering header was blocked on the Raith goal-line following a 75th-minute corner, and McKinnon’s low strike was deflected into Rae’s hands as Airdrie searched for a breakthrough.

Connelly reacted quickly to narrow the angle as Raith sub Lewis Vaughan burst through on goal on 78 minutes, the striker unable to find the target following the Diamonds keeper’s quick thinking.

Connelly was in action again as the game moved into the final ten minutes, saving at the feet of Chin as the Raith man tried to squeeze home at the near post.

Aidan Wilson got back to head a deflected cross over the top just as it looked to be dropping into the net, and Easton was denied by more solid defending as full-time approached.

Second half stoppage-time saw the two closest chances of the match, Easton curling a lovely effort just wide of the top corner before Telfer found McKinnon with a low cross, and last week’s goalscorer sent in an effort which ricocheted off Aaron Reid and bounced out via the underside of the bar.

More promising signs for the Diamonds, who put in a largely solid performance ahead of Tuesday’s rearranged match against league leaders St Johnstone.