It was stalemate at the Albert Bartlett as Airdrie and Arbroath played out their fourth draw of the season.

As well as a 1-0 home victory apiece, the Diamonds and the Red Lichties had shared the points in one league encounter, with two cup ties going to extra-time and penalties.

Airdrie head coach Aaron Taylor-Sinclair required a huge defensive reshuffle with Lewis Strapp suspended and Dylan MacDonald and Craig Ross injured – the trio were replaced by Adam Devine, Scott Constable and Sean McGinty, while Cole McKinnon, Lewis McGrattan and Owen Stirton also dropped to the bench as Charlie Telfer, Jake Hastie and Chris Mochrie came in for starts.

Mochrie was the first to be involved in an incident of note, going down in the Arbroath box as he took in a fifth-minute pass, but referee Peter Stuart saw no infringement.

A good spell for the visitors followed, ex-Diamond Craig Watson seeing a shot blocked after winning possession with a strong tackle before Scott Robinson was denied by the slding McGinty on eight minutes.

Mochrie left Aaron Muirhead in his wake as he sprinted down the left flank five minutes later, his cutback finding Dom Thomas who opted to take a touch which allowed the grateful Arbroath defence to clear the ball to safety.

Hastie tried to repeat the feat on the opposite wing on the quarter-hour mark, but his square pass was booted clear and the danger was averted again.

Findlay Marshall found space for 20-yard effort which looked bound for the back of the net but for a crucial block from Devine, and the resultant corner gave Harry Stone his first opportunity to get involved as he held a near-post effort.

Hastie’s handball pleas were turned away on 19 minutes, with Charlie McArthur going into the book as he broke up the Arbroath counter.

Mochrie combined with Euan Henderson to launch a 25th-minute break, but the final pass was cut out as the pacey pair outstripped the visitors backline once again.

As the first half moved into its final ten minutes, Harry Cochrane sent a curling strike well over after a free-kick had been squared to the former Hearts man, and Stone had to react to deny Ryan Dow after a mishit shot landed in the path of the experienced midfielder.

The final chance of the half fell to Cochrane again, and while he kept his shot down on this occasion, he sent it wide of the upright.

Mochrie threatened again after the restart, first being halted by a foul which saw Muirhead into the book, then by a tight offside call as he burst through on goal.

A decent Hastie effort just failed to come down in time to squeeze under the bar, and Stone held a low Marshall strike as the sides continued to draw a blank.

Constable almost got on the end of a 58th-minute Devine cross, but a vital headed touch took the ball out of the path of the overlapping defender.

Mochrie and Henderson almost profited from a poor pass out of defence on 72 minutes, but had to settle for a corner which ended with McArthur sending a scooped effort over the top.

Stirton came off the Airdrie bench to flick a 77th-minute header wide of the target after a good run by Henderson, and the pair combined again seven minutes later as Henderson’s defence-splitting pass handed the Dundee United loanee a gilt-edged opportunity to open the scoring. Opting to shoot early instead of advancing on goal, Stirton saw his shot well saved by Aidan McAdams.

A defensive mix-up almost handed Arbroath an 89th-minute winner, but Stone saved at the near post before the loose ball ricocheted over the top.

McAdams got across to save a stoppage-time Constable header, and the final whistle called time on another tight encounter between the sides.

With Ross County, Morton and Raith Rovers all losing their matches this weekend, it may yet prove an invaluable point.

The Diamonds head to Stark’s Park next Saturday, hoping to draw level on points with seventh-placed Raith.