Airdrie’s league season opened with a goalless affair at Balmoral Stadium as the Diamonds drew a blank against Cove Rangers.

There were seven league debuts for John Rankin’s side as Jamie Sneddon, Sam Fisher, Ewan Simpson, Dapo Mebude, Matty Yates, AJ Bridge and Kian Taylor lined up for League 1 duty for the first time in Airdrie’s first outing in the third tier since 2023.

It was the Diamonds who made the early running, Taylor breaking through on four minutes after smart interplay between Mebude and Yates, but the Toonsers’ Ryan Harrington was back to snuff out the danger.

Captain Craig Ross sent a looping header over the top four minutes later after Bridge’s free-kick was initially blocked.

Paul Hartley’s side hit back through Reuben McAllister, whose 13th-minute pass for Destiny Oladipo was well read by Fisher before Adam Devine poked the ball away from the big striker two minutes later.

An Airdrie free-kick on the 18-yard line gave Yates the opportunity to go for goal, but although his low effort beat the wall, it ended up wide of the target.

Former Ross County striker Jordan White drew a superb save from Sneddon midway through the first half, the Diamonds keeper getting a strong hand on his close-range effort to turn it onto the post.

Oladipo nodded wide on 28 minutes as White looked to turn provider with a clever back-header across the box, and Yates just failed to control a dangerous Mebude pass at the other end three minutes later.

After a wayward Taylor cross had brought an incisive Airdrie move to an end, Oladipo was once again the home side’s focal point – but his tame effort failed to trouble Sneddon.

The keeper made another comfortable save from a 38th-minute McAllister strike, and the first half ended goalless.

The second 45 was more of an end-to-end affair, Sneddon palming out a Max Barry cross three minutes after the restart and strong play from Gavin Gallagher teeing up Bridge eight minutes later, but the midfielder’s shot was well blocked.

Airdrie’s best chance of the day fell to Devine, arriving at the back post after a thrusting run to the bye-line by Fisher, but the defender got his contact all wrong and turned wide with the goal gaping.

Dylan MacDonald hooked a Mebude cross over the top before a controversial moment when White escaped a card after catching Fisher in the face with a flailing elbow.

Cove keeper Robbie Mutch reacted quickly to reach a 70th-minute Taylor pass ahead of Diamonds sub Liam McLeish, and opposite number Sneddon again proved unbeatable a minute later as Barry send in a decent 25-yard effort.

As the game opened up the home defence stood up to crosses from Mebude and Kwame Boateng either side of another strong Sneddon save, and McLeish send a 76th-minute strike wide after the ball had been nicked away from Yates.

Gallagher beat Mutch with a looping header on 79 minutes, but the ball struck the face of the bar and was cleared to safety.

Mutch denied McLeish and Cove sub Chris Maguire fired over as the match moved into the final ten minutes, and a series of bookings led to a frustratingly scrappy ending.

There was one last decent opportunity for Airdrie as Taylor chipped goalward in the final minute, but Mutch was able to backpedal and touch the ball over the bar.

It was the last chance of a fairly frantic second half, with the Diamonds left to rue their missed chances while taking encouragement from a clean sheet on the road.

East Kilbride are the opponents next weekend as Airdrie prepare for the first home fixture of the campaign.