Airdrie progressed to the last eight of the KDM Evolution Trophy after a 3-1 home win over Montrose in which all four goals came in the second half.

There were four changes for the Diamonds following Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Raith Rovers, with Cole McKinnon, Charlie Telfer, Jake Hastie and Cammy Cooper returning to the starting XI while Dylan MacDonald, Jamie Barjonas, Lewis McGrattan and Euan Henderson dropped to the bench.

The first half had a cat-and-mouse feel, Airdrie enjoying almost total dominance of possession while Stewart Petrie’s men rigidly held their shape and challenged the Diamonds to find a way through. It was an effective tactic from the visitors, with Airdrie being limited to speculative efforts from outside the box.

The first chance fell to Lewis Strapp on three minutes, the defender advancing to the centre-forward position to take a neat pass from Chris Mochrie, but sending his effort wide of Harrison Sharp’s post.

McKinnon was next to have a go in the 14th minute, but the midfielder’s strike went the same way as Strapp’s, as did Dean McMaster’s from even further out five minutes later.

Montrose’s on-loan keeper had his first save on 26 minutes, the Dundee man holding a curling Cooper effort without too much trouble.

Hastie forced another save seven minutes later, drifting in from the right and rifling in a low shot which Sharp touched round the post.

The visitors had their first meaningful attack six minutes before half-time, Blair Lyons advancing with the ball but firing into a crowd of defenders when there were better options on either flank.

Mochrie and Gallagher passed up shooting opportunities as the half drew to a close, and late penalty claims from the Gable Endies fell on deaf ears after a coming-together in the Airdrie box.

If the first period had been cagey, the second half burst into life straight from the whistle, Harry Stone making his first save a minute after the restart as Lyons peeled away on the Montrose left and sent in an angled shot.

Airdrie punished the miss in style, swiftly moving the ball up the park with Mochrie sliding a square ball to Cooper on the edge of the box. The striker touched the pass off to the incoming Gallagher, who eased the ball beyond Sharp and into the bottom corner.

Sharp gathered at the feet of Hastie thanks to good blocking play from Montrose captain Andrew Steeves on 57 minutes, with Airdrie forced into a change two minutes later as Sean McGinty pulled up off the ball. 18-year-old academy star Jack Smith, making his senior debut, replaced the experienced defender.

The Diamonds showed no ill-effects as they doubled their lead a minute later, Strapp’s persistence seeing the ball played to Mochrie, who proceeded to manoeuvre away from the entire visiting defence before rifling a shot across Sharp and into the net.

Straight from kick-off Montrose reduced the deficit to one again, a nice flick on allowing Graham Webster to flight in a lovely cross which Ewan Loudon bulleted home at the near post.

Hastie poked wide as Sharp narrowed the angle on 73 minutes before a 77th-minute quadruple-change saw the introduction of Jamie Barjonas, Lewis McGrattan, Euan Henderson and Dylan Williams – the latter pair combining to grab Airdrie’s third four minutes later.

As Henderson advanced toward goal, Williams ran across the defence. Although his run had taken him beyond the path of Henderson’s pass, he flicked the ball back with his heel, and the Diamonds top scorer steadied himself before sending another angled finish beyond Sharp.

A late rally from the visitors saw a Lyons strike turned wide by Smith before Aidan Quinn headed the resultant corner just wide, with a double block from Sharp denying Williams and McKinnon just before full-time.

An action-packed second half and safe passage to the quarter-finals for the Diamonds, who now face a trip to Somerset Park as they return to Championship action against Ayr United on Saturday.