Dom Thomas and Charlie McArthur opened their Airdrie accounts as the Diamonds registered a home win against a Morton side which ended an incident-packed match with nine men.

Ian Murray made his first return to the Albert Bartlett Stadium since leaving Raith Rovers at the beginning of last season, and the former Airdrie boss included ex-Diamonds Murray Johnson and Cammy Ballantyne in his side, with Arron Lyall also in the match squad.

Airdrie’s head coach Aaron Taylor-Sinclair shuffled his pack once again as his hectic schedule continued.

Sean McGinty, Charlie Telfer, Gavin Gallagher, Cole McKinnon and Chris Mochrie dropped to the bench after Wednesday’s shoot-out defeat to Raith, with Dylan MacDonald, Jamie Barjonas, Dean McMaster and Lewis McGrattan coming back in alongside McArthur and Thomas.

Ballantyne gave an early indication of how the visitors’ afternoon would pan out with a scything challenge on Euan Henderson inside two minutes, and on this occasion was lucky to go unpunished.

Barjonas and Thomas linked well two minutes later, winning the first of many corners, and though Morton hit back through Owen Moffat, the former Celtic midfielder was unable to beat Harry Stone to an eighth-minute passback.

The Greenock side did go in front two minutes later, a perfectly flighted ball over the top from Iain Wilson freeing Michael Garrity, who took a good touch and slotted past Stone despite the attentions of Craig Ross.

Michael O’Halloran saw a pass to the front post unceremoniously booted clear a minute later as Morton sought to double their advantage, but it was the veteran’s last involvement as he pulled up off the ball on 13 minutes and had to be replaced.

Dean McMaster sent in a powerful long-range effort on the quarter-hour mark, but a good block on the ball saw it spin behind for a corner.

There was no blocking Dom Thomas’s strike two minutes later after Lewis Strapp had won possession for Henderson and Barjonas had threaded a pass to Airdrie’s number 15, who dodged a challenge and advanced on goal before unleashing an unstoppable effort high into the net.

Morton’s Ayr United loanee Curtis Main fired straight at Stone on 19 minutes, with the Diamonds keeper also denying Moffat three minutes later after the ball had broken kindly just inside the box.

Main and Thomas exchanged 20-yard efforts, with the former firing over before the Airdrie man saw his strike blocked.

McGrattan’s late run almost paid off as he met Henderson’s 27th-minute cross, but the ex-Morton midfielder was unable to turn home from the tightest of angles.

Strapp was enjoying himself against his old club, and he saw a dangerous square pass hacked behind on 31 minutes before getting on the end of the resultant corner only to see his shot well blocked.

The visitors were reduced to ten men with nine minutes of the first half remaining, Ballantyne flying into a challenge on Strapp on halfway. Referee Grant Irvine showed no hesitation in waving a red card at the former Airdrie defender.

Skipper Grant Gillespie prevented the Diamonds taking advantage immediately with some calm defending, before unfortunate substitute Lyall was sacrificed for another defender, Aaron Comrie.

Thomas saw another effort turned behind five minutes before the break in what was the last real action of the first half.

The first opportunity after the interval also fell to Airdrie’s goalscorer, and this time he made no mistake in doubling his tally to put Airdrie in front.

Strapp’s long throw was flicked on by Owen Stirton, and the unmarked Thomas volleyed through the crowded box and into the net despite Johnson’s despairing dive.

The Morton keeper got behind Strapp’s 52nd-minute header and launched a counter which ended with Stone producing a fine diving save to deny Main.

McMaster send another strike whistling just past the post two minutes later before helping out his defence with a good block from Gillespie.

Johnson kept his side in the game with a double-save just before the hour-mark, Stirton and Thomas both finding their route to goal blocked by the Hibernian loanee.

The pace of the match faded over the next 20 minutes as a number of fouls, bookings, and substitutions interrupted play, but Strapp and Moffat both went close when given a sight of goal.

Ross headed over before Zak Delaney’s shot was easily held by Stone, and Morton’s hopes of a comeback were dealt another blow with the dismissal of Main, who dived in on Strapp with both feet off the ground and left the referee with little choice but to produce another red card.

McArthur put the result beyond doubt with five minutes remaining, glancing home McMaster’s corner kick to make it 3-1 to the hosts.

The final whistle brought the curtain down on an eventful afternoon, and with just seven points separating fourth and tenth positions in the Championship, it really is all to play for ahead of next weekend’s trip to take on Queen’s Park.