Liam McLeish’s late spot-kick rescued a point for the Diamonds after going behind to East Kilbride in a match where chances were few and far between.

Airdrie boss John Rankin stuck with the same side which had drawn 0-0 with Cove Rangers last weekend as the Diamonds welcomed their Lanarkshire neighbours to the Albert Bartlett Stadium.

Former Airdrie midfielder Rhys Armstrong started for the visitors, with fellow ex-Diamond Lewis McGrattan returning from injury to take a spot on the bench alongside trialist goalkeeper Kieran Wright.

It was the home side who started brighter, an early corner defended with the ball breaking back out to taker AJ Bridge, who whipped in an dangerous cross which goalkeeper Shay Kelly did well to claim.

Craig McGuffie got the first sight of goal for Kilby, curling a seventh-minute shot round the post before Kian Taylor saw a volleyed effort cannon off a defender four minutes later.

A 15th-minute cross was just too far in front of Dapo Mebude for the Airdrie striker to steer his header on target, and Matty Yates fired over from the edge of the box after Bridge had regained possession and fed the striker.

Yates went into the book for confronting Jamie Hamilton after the defender’s brutal challenge on Gavin Gallagher, with the East Kilbride man lucky not to receive a harsher fate.

A card was also flashed in the direction of John Rankin as the game began to descend into a cavalcade of niggly fouls and bookings.

Owen Calder had a 33rd-minute shot well blocked by Diamonds captain Craig Ross before Mick Kennedy also saw yellow after a rant at the referee.

Mebude broke free and saw his shot saved before Sean Fagan decked Gallagher with a shoulder to the face five minutes before the break, and referee Grant Irvine blew the half-time whistle just as the game was threatening to spiral out of control.

Kelly was off his line sharply to beat Gallagher to Taylor’s pass after Mebude and Yates had combined to switch play on 59 minutes, but six minutes later the visitors had the lead.

After being incorrectly awarded a throw, East Kilbride won a corner which substitute McGrattan swung into the six-yard box for Fagan to bundle home.

Airdrie responded by sending on McLeish as further yellow cards were brandished in the direction of Sam Fisher, Finlay Gray, and Simon Ferry on the away side’s bench.

Robbie Mahon, Kwame Boateng and Divine Iserhienrhien followed McLeish onto the pitch as the Diamonds changed shape in attempt to get back on level terms.

The move paid off as Mahon glided past his man on 82 minutes, pulling the ball back across the box. Although the first touch was by a visiting defender, McLeish pounced on the loose ball only to be felled, and the referee pointed to the spot.

There was no question of anyone other than McLeish taking the penalty kick, and the former Queen’s Park striker lashed the ball into the bottom left corner with Kelly diving the other way.

The general chaos of the game showed no signs of letting up, and a member of East Kilbride’s coaching staff was shown a red card in the aftermath of the goal.

A quick throw almost paid off for the Diamonds on 88 minutes, but the Kilby defence managed to scramble clear, and another superb Ross block denied Owen Moffat as the former Morton man jinked into the box and made space for a shot.

Moffat had another shooting chance in stoppage time, and this time Fisher did the blocking. Airdrie broke in numbers, but Mahon’s near-post effort was kept out by Kelly and the sides had to settle for a point apiece.

A break in league proceedings follows for the Diamonds, who visit Dumbarton in midweek to kick off the KDM Evolution Trophy group stage.