A strong second-half turnaround handed the Binos three KDM points at the Albert Bartlett Stadium as Airdrie failed to capitalise on Liam McLeish’s opener.

Three-time former Diamond Jordan Allan was among the scorers for Steven Whittaker’s side, who triumphed thanks to a tenacious counter-attacking display which took full advantage of some disappointing defensive lapses.

As Airdrie faced their sixth of seven August fixtures, head coach John Rankin made eight changes to the side which lost to Ross County at the weekend. Cade Melrose, Evan Easton, Robbie Mahon, Matty Yates, Kwame Boateng, Adam Devine, Cole Williams and a trialist replaced Jamie Sneddon, Dylan MacDonald, Craig Ross, Declan Gallagher, Gavin Gallagher, AJ Bridge, Callum Burnside, and Lewis Gibson in the starting XI.

The sides traded early chances, Harry Wright’s shot blocked by Boateng before Mahon forced a save from Robert Duffy after an excellent touch had left him one-on-one with the Stirling keeper.

Boateng was on hand again on 15 minutes as he dealt with a two-man Stirling break in an opening spell devoid of real opportunities.

Three minutes later the visitors showed the ability to break in numbers which would ultimately win them the game, but on this occasion a tame effort was easily held by Melrose.

Yates did well to get a 19th-minute shot away surrounded by defenders, but it dipped just too late and landed on the roof of the net.

Giant striker Russell McLean tested Melrose with a header midway through the half, before Airdrie’s trialist saw his own headed effort ricochet off the back of a Binos defender.

With 28 minutes played McLeish opened the scoring, Williams feeding Mahon on the left flank. The Irishman nutmegged Ali Gould, Sam Denham failed to clear as the ball broke across the box, and McLeish gratefully controlled before placing a cultured finish beyond Duffy from 18 yards.

Airdrie went looking for a quick second, but Ewan Simpson’s well-struck volley was blocked three minutes later, and a deflection took Yates’s speculative effort into Duffy’s arms on 37 minutes.

It took a fingertip save from Duffy to prevent Yates doubling the lead just before half-time, and the Diamonds had to settle for a single goal advantage at the break.

Gallagher and Bridge replaced Fisher and Mahon at half-time as John Rankin continued to rotate his squad ahead of another important league fixture at the weekend, but five minutes after the restart the momentum swung.

Boateng popped up on the left of the Airdrie attack, shuffling past Gould and picking out Airdrie’s trialist in the box, and his touch looked goalbound until the diving figure of Duffy got across to push it away.

The Stirling keeper then gathered and launched a counter which saw Dunfermline loanee Lucas Fyfe cross from the right, with Wright attacking the six-yard box and leaving Melrose with no chance of keeping out his volleyed finish.

Seven minutes later the Diamonds were presented with a chance to get themselves back in front, but no-one in a white shirt reacted quickly enough as Devine’s deflected cross bounced a yard from goal before being hooked clear.

A scrappy spell of niggly fouls and substitutions followed, but it was the visitors who were able to pick up the pace on 76 minutes, substitute Allan putting his side ahead in style as he pounced on some slack defending to skip clear and smash an angled strike into the net.

A 79th-minute Bridge header was held by Duffy, who then denied Airdrie’s trialist substitute at the near post with a good reaction stop.

Boateng lifted a strike over the top as Stirling defended their lead in numbers, with Duffy again unbeatable as he gathered Gibson’s 87th-minute drive.

The impressive Danny Dobbie put the result beyond doubt in the final minute, Easton’s block falling to the Stirling midfielder, who had time to adjust his feet before sending home an inch-perfect lofted finish.

With four matches to play, Airdrie will be confident they can recover and progress from the competition’s group phase, but there is clearly work to be done before a return to League 1 action with Saturday’s home tie against East Fife.