Airdrie rounded off their pre-season with another useful run-out against Premiership side Falkirk, who had to come from behind late on to earn a narrow victory.

With Craig Ross missing out after sustaining a training-ground facial injury, another trialist was drafted in at the centre of defence, while Diamonds head coach John Rankin continued to run the rule over those already with the squad.

Former Airdrie man Leon McCann featured as an attacking left wing-back for the visitors, and almost set up the first chance of the match with a good run and cross two minutes in, but Airdrie’s Trialist 2 headed clear.

Dapo Mebude came close to opening the scoring two minutes later, Trialist 31’s press winning possession and playing in the summer signing, who was denied by the feet of Nicky Hogarth.

Ethan Ross was at the heart of much of Falkirk’s good early play, and saw a decent strike blocked by Trialist 4 on nine minutes before sending a curling effort just over the top two minutes later.

Airdrie’s trialist goalkeeper got right behind Ben Parkinson’s 13th-minute header, and latest signing Henry James defended stoutly as Alfredo Agyeman looked to cause problems down the Falkirk right.

Airdrie’s defensive wall stood up to a 16th-minute Ross free-kick, leading to a flurry of corners which ended with Coll Donaldson heading wide.

Trialist 38, who grabbed a nice goal at Ayr on Saturday, tried his luck from outside the distance after good play by Gavin Gallagher on 20 minutes, but the effort was blocked.

Aidan Nesbitt stung the palms of Trialist 1 on the half-hour mark, before Trialist 38 again shot from outside the box after a Robbie Mahon corner, but on this occasion his effort cleared the bar.

Mahon and Gallagher had strikes blocked ten minutes before the break as Airdrie continued to probe at the visiting defence, but John McGlynn’s side were a constant danger and Trialist 4 had to boot behind for a corner to end a 36th-minute attack.

The Diamonds opened the scoring with five minutes of the first half to play, an aggressive press forcing Liam Henderson into a panicked passback – however the Falkirk man’s header was short, allowing Mebude to nip and loop a header over the outrushing Hogarth and into the net.

A good save from Trialist 1 prevented Parkinson grabbing a quick equaliser, and Airdrie took their lead into the break.

Nine half-time changes for the Diamonds led to a slow start to the second half, and Cade Melrose had to be in fine form to keep out a 47th-minute Agyeman volley before gathering Craig Sibbald’s free-kick four minutes later.

Airdrie’s Trialist 15 saw a decent effort fly just wide of the post on 54 minutes, with Melrose in action again four minutes later as play raged from end to end.

The impressive Agyeman shook the goal-frame just before the hour mark, smashing a powerful strike off the underside of the bar, before Falkirk sub Scott Tanser was unlucky to see a good strike cannon off a team-mate on 64 minutes.

Further substitutions disrupted any momentum that the match was gathering, but Trialist 15 and Ross MacIver exchanged off-target headers before the visitors did find the net.

A 72nd-minute corner kick was met by Connor Allan, with Henderson lurking at the back post to force home the equaliser.

Nesbitt saw a 77th-minute strike deflected wide as the visitors ended the match strongly, Allan forcing another smart stop from Melrose four minutes later.

Airdrie almost went back in front with six minutes remaining as Trialist 11’s corner skewed off the head of a Falkirk defender, but Henderson was in the right place to clear off the line.

The sucker punch came two minutes later, Szymon Walczak stumbling over the ball as he controlled a tight pass on the edge of the box, and MacIver was there to nick possession and slam past Melrose from close range.

It was the final action of the match bar the inevitable final substitutions, and while it handed Falkirk victory, the overall exercise was a good one for Airdrie.

Another Premiership opponent now looms as the Diamonds get their competitive season underway with Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup opener at Dundee.