Airdrie’s Championship destiny remains in their own hands after a sensational comeback win over Ayr United.

The Diamonds looked to be on the ropes after going behind in the first half, and with Ross County also winning it would take something special to turn things around – and January signings Robbie Mahon and Charlie McArthur delivered.

Head coach Aaron Taylor-Sinclair was up against it from the start with top scorer Euan Henderson and fellow striker Aaron Reid joining the injury list, leaving the Airdrie boss with only five subs as Lewis McGrattan replaced Henderson in the starting XI.

After a tame Liam Dick header was held by Harry Stone in the second minute, Airdrie enjoyed the better of the opening stages, Jamie Barjonas’s half-hearted penalty appeals waved away a minute later before McGrattan saw an angled effort well blocked.

Chris Mochrie was penalised as he challenged David Mitchell for McArthur’s sixth-minute flick-on, but it was Stone who had to be alert as Ayr fought back, saving well three times against his old team around the 12-minute mark.

Ayr skipper Ben Dempsey was back to hoof clear Mochrie’s 17th-minute cutback after the in-form Airdrie man had waltzed into the box, and a Dom Thomas cross was met with the same response on 22 minutes.

A deflection on Barjonas’s shot didn’t stop Mitchell making the save on 25 minutes, and a minute later the visitors were in front, Leon King meeting a Stuart Bannigan corner to power home a close-range header.

The Diamonds retaliated quickly, but Scott Constable’s cross was nodded behind for a corner after Lewis Strapp had fired across the face of goal.

Constable was in action again on 29 minutes, feeding McGrattan in the box, but the midfielder was well tackled.

Anton Dowds almost added to his impressive tally of goals against Airdrie on the half-hour mark, sending a lovely curling effort inches over the top.

Dick’s attempt two minutes later wasn’t quite as close as the defender got underneath his shot.

Charlie Telfer’s late attempts to create something came up short as Strapp was unable to get a shot away from the midfielder’s 42nd-minute pass, and a free-kick was headed behind three minutes later.

Strapp got plenty of power on a volley two minutes into first-half stoppage time, but the strike was always veering away from the far post.

Ayr’s Jamie Hislop hurt himself while launching into a poor tackle on Barjonas which was perhaps fortunate only to be met with a yellow card and immediate substitution four minutes after the restart.

Barjonas dusted himself down to get on the end of Telfer’s cross six minutes later, but sent his header wide of the target before drawing another foul and caution, this time for Dowds.

McGrattan’s 62nd-minute strike was straight at Mitchell, and Airdrie breathed a sigh of relief three minutes later as Jamie Murphy burst free, but Stone spread himself well and there was no way past for the experienced Ayr midfielder.

As Airdrie prepared to take a 68th-minute corner, Robbie Mahon entered the fray – and the Irishman found the net with his first touch, flicking home from inside the six-yard box after Craig Ross had got his head to Thomas’s delivery.

Dick blocked a Mochrie strike with his hands a minute later, with his proximity to the ball perhaps preventing referee Lloyd Wilson from pointing to the spot.

Dowds and Thomas exchanged efforts as the game opened up, and a spell of Diamonds pressure was kept at bay by some desperate defending.

It looked like it wouldn’t be Airdrie’s day when Mochrie’s goalbound strike was unwittingly blocked by Mahon on 81 minutes, but McArthur had different ideas three minutes later.

A Thomas free-kick was met by the head of Dick, but Cole McKinnon was lurking at the far post and nodded the ball back into the danger area, where McArthur shaped up and smashed an outstanding left-footed volley beyond the despairing dive of Mitchell.

Dempsey almost nicked a last-minute equaliser with a curling corner kick, but Stone was alert to grab the ball as it sneaked under the bar.

It was the last action of a theatrical second half, and it puts the Diamonds within two points of eighth-placed Morton, with a last-day visit to face Ian Murray’s men next up.

With the bottom three scrabbling for survival, Airdrie now know that a win at Cappielow will secure their Championship status.