It was Airdrie’s turn to grab a last-gasp equaliser as Lewis McGrattan’s 90th-minute goal earned the Diamonds their second 2-2 draw in a week.

Partick Thistle arrived at the Albert Bartlett Stadium knowing that anything less than a win would hand St Johnstone the chance to wrap up the Championship title on Tuesday evening, but the Jags didn’t get things their own way as Airdrie put in an impressive first-half performance.

There was only one change to the side which had drawn with Dunfermline in midweek, with Adam Devine unable to recover from the calf injury which saw him withdrawn on Tuesday. Scott Constable was his replacement at right-back.

The Diamonds came flying out of the traps, Cole McKinnon seeing a second-minute cross cut out after good footwork in the middle from Dom Thomas.

Euan Henderson looked certain to open the scoring two minutes later as Thistle captain Lee Ashcroft slipped in the box, but the experienced defender picked himself up and threw himself in front of the shot for an unbelievable block.

From the resultant corner Constable did well to keep his fizzing effort down, but it went the wrong side of Josh Clarke’s post.

Thomas couldn’t get enough behind his sixth-minute shot to trouble Clarke as Airdrie continued to dominate the opening stages.

Thistle hit back through Alex Samuel, but Craig Ross was well placed to block the shot.

Charlie Telfer was next to try his luck for the Diamonds, his long-range strike flying wide after Jamie Barjonas had won possession with a crunching tackle.

Despite all of Airdrie’s attacking intent, it was the visitors who went closest to opening the scoring on 20 minutes when St Mirren loanee Fraser Taylor clipped the post with a decent effort following a slip from Henderson.

Charlie McArthur dealt with Samuel’s low cross before Harry Stone was called upon to keep out a 29th-minute Ben McPherson effort.

Airdrie did take the lead seven minutes later, and it was a third in four matches for Chris Mochrie, who controlled McKinnon’s pass before unleashing a lovely dipping effort which kissed the underside of the bar on the way in.

Mark Wilson’s side almost retaliated immediately as Ts’oanelo Lets’osa let fly on 40 minutes, but the strike went wide.

The visitors made changes to their shape and personnel at the interval as ex-Diamonds Gary Mackay-Steven and Tony Watt took to the field.

The changes paid dividends early on as Samuel got a chance to shoot on 48 minutes, but the Welshman’s shot cleared the bar.

The Maryhill side equalised two minutes later, and it was one to forget for the Airdrie defence. As a short corner was worked into the box and bounced in front of McArthur. The defender tried to clear for touch with his weaker right foot, but succeeded only in smashing the ball off Mochrie and into his own net.

Henderson broke away from a Thistle corner a minute after the restart, but a poor touch allowed lone defender Ethan Ingram to scramble clear.

Watt sent a 57th-minute effort into the turf and it almost spun under the bar, but Stone was on hand to catch.

There was no such luck for the keeper a minute later as Samuel pounced on a short McArthur header and squared to Watt, who in turn played in Aidan Fitzpatrick. The midfielder made no mistake with his angled finish to hand his side the lead.

Clarke denied Airdrie a quick return to parity, saving from Henderson on 59 minutes, and McArthur saw a towering header blocked on the line a minute later.

Thomas curled in an identical effort to his opening goal on Tuesday – but unlike in midweek found himself denied by the fingertips of the goalkeeper on this occasion.

A flurry of substitutions and bookings took the sting out of the Diamonds’ fightback, and as the clock ticked toward full-time a defeat looked to be on the cards.

Thistle substitutes Ricco Diack and Logan Chalmers combined on 88 minutes, the former Airdrie loanee teeing up his team-mate, who screwed wide.

The pair paid for the miss two minutes later, when three of Airdrie’s subs combined to much greater effect.

Lewis Strapp’s throw-in was headed only as far as Robbie Mahon, who threaded a pass for Aaron Reid. The striker chopped outside his man and squared across goal for Lewis McGrattan to tap home the equaliser.

McKinnon headed straight into the arms of Clarke four minutes into stoppage time, and the spoils were shared.

Ross County’s win over Ayr United means that Airdrie’s advantage over them is cut to a point, with the Diamonds taking on the Honest Men next weekend, while the Staggies face Ian Murray’s Morton.