Dylan MacDonald provided the sting in the tail as the Diamonds beat the Wasps in the KDM Evolution Trophy to progress to the last 16.

On a wet and windy night at the Indodrill Stadium, a much-changed Airdrie line-up reversed the 3-2 scoreline which had seen Alloa to victory in the Premier Sports Cup early in the season.

Following the weekend’s long trip to Dingwall, caretaker boss Aaron Taylor-Sinclair made six changes to his starting line-up, handing a Diamonds debut to goalkeeper Andy McNeil and a first senior start to striker Tate Xavier-Jones.

Cammy Bruce, Cammy Cooper, Charlie Telfer and Jake Hastie were the other players to come in to the XI, with MacDonald dropping to the bench alongside Cade Melrose, Jamie Barjonas, Lewis McGrattan, Chris Mochrie and Euan Henderson.

After winning the toss the Diamonds elected to switch ends, meaning they had Storm Bram at their backs in the first half, and it was the visitors who made the early running.

Xavier-Jones danced across the box inside the second minute, but the home defence blocked his effort before Sean McGinty returned the loose ball with interest, the defender’s wind-assisted effort sailing over the bar.

Keeper Tochukwu Ogayi held a curling Hastie effort a minute later before McNeil was called into action at the other end, narrowing the angle well to deny former Diamonds favourite Calum Gallagher.

Good moves by Bruce, Telfer and Cole McKinnon tested the Alloa defence, who stood resolute in the opening stages despite the conditions.

The home backline had no answer on 18 minutes however, Xavier-Jones finding Cooper’s run into the box with the Airdrie striker then chopping inside a backtracking defender and sending a fantastic finish home via the inside of the far post.

Airdrie almost added an immediate second as a Hastie cross looped over the keeper, but Charlie Dewar was alert to head off the line.

As the home side pressed for an equaliser, McNeil got down to save from Gallagher at the near post.

Airdrie’s response was clinical yet again, Telfer intercepting a pass from defence and feeding Gavin Gallagher, who teed up Xavier-Jones for a powerful low strike which left Ogayi with no chance.

The Nigerian keeper was in action again on 25 minutes, and though he failed to hold Hastie’s powerful effort, he recovered to deny Xavier-Jones a second with a brilliant save.

Former Diamond Kurtis Roberts was next to threaten for Andy Graham’s side, but his 27th-minute effort was too high.

McGinty was on hand to intervene as Gallagher tried to pick out Kalvin Orsi with a clever lofted pass on 32 minutes, but two minutes later the hosts did have one back.

McNeil could only punch out a cross as the ball hung in the wind, and although he saved Cameron O’Donnell’s initial shot well, the striker squeezed home at the second attempt, the ball squirming into the net via a combination of McGinty, Craig Ross and the near post.

Buoyed by their good fortune, Alloa quickly levelled the tie, their 37th-minute equaliser owing more to skill than luck as Steven Buchanan ran on to Owen Foster’s flicked header, blocked off McKinnon and slotted under McNeil.

A McGinty block prevented the hosts from turning the game on its head completely, and the sides went in level at half-time.

Ogayi was in action early in the second half, getting behind Cooper’s shot and gratefully clutching Xavier-Jones’s effort from the rebound on 50 minutes.

Hastie saw a 59th-minute effort blocked for a corner before Ogayi denied McKinnon a minute later, Ross sending the loose ball wide of the post.

A quadruple change for Airdrie saw both scorers replaced alongside Bruce and Gallagher, with MacDonald, Mochrie, Henderson and Dylan Williams entering the fray.

Alloa sub McKay headed wide when it looked easier to score on 63 minutes, and Telfer was denied from range by a fine Ogayi save four minutes later.

Veteran striker Conor Sammon teed up fellow substitute Callum Burnside after cutting out a Williams pass on 72 minutes, but McNeil came to his team-mate’s rescue with a good save from the Rangers loanee.

Ogayi saved a 77th-minute effort from Henderson, but there was no denying MacDonald seconds later when the Airdrie sub ran on to an incisive pass from fellow defender McGinty, and from a tight angle passed the ball into the net beyond Ogayi.

The Alloa keeper continued to impress, having been helpless at all three Airdrie goals, and saved well from Hastie as the Diamonds wide-man attempted to finish off a solo effort on 83 minutes.

It was the last action for Hastie, who was replaced by Cole Williams after having studs raked down his calf in an off the ball incident which none of the officials saw.

A final strike from Telfer was beaten away by Ogayi, and the final whistle called time on a good win in miserable conditions.

Airdrie will find out their last-16 opponents after Thursday’s draw, although a handful of ties are still up in the air after weather-enforced postponements last night.