Airdrie and East Kilbride served up a four-goal thriller as the Diamonds recovered from losing two goals in a minute to earn a hard-fought and well-deserved point.

Head coach John Rankin welcomed Callum Burnside back from international duty, and the on-loan Rangers midfielder went straight into the side, replacing Reghan Tumilty who dropped to the bench.

Ex-Diamonds Rhys Armstrong and Lewis McGrattan lined up for the hosts.

After an end-to end opening spell in which Josh Gentles’s half-hearted penalty claim was waved away and Jamie Sneddon smothered Sam Culbert’s low cross, the game burst into life in the 12th minute.

It was one to forget for Connor Smith as his slack pass was pounced upon by the country’s top scorer Cami Elliott. The striker still had work to do as Sneddon raced out, but the ball broke kindly for Elliott and he lifted it over the keeper who could only watch as it rolled over the line.

Within a minute the home side were 2-0 up. Elliott controlled a forward pass, allowing Sean Fagan to square for Craig McGuffie, who leathered the ball home from just outside the box.

McGrattan drew a routine save from Sneddon on 20 minutes before the Diamonds were frustrated by the linesman’s flag after Burnside looked to have timed his run well to meet Ewan Simpson’s pass.

Burnside was becoming key to Airdrie’s fightback, sending a 24th-minute effort over the bar before switching sides with Lewis Gibson and seeing Shay Kelly claim his cross four minutes later.

McGrattan should have done better on the half-hour mark, scooping over from close range after a missed interception had presented a gilt-edged opportunity.

Gentles was agonisingly close to connecting with Gibson’s ball across the face of goal a minute later, with Sam Fisher then seeing a strike deflected wide.

Smith was showing no ill effects from his earlier error, and almost grabbed an assist on 35 minutes when he held off a challenge to feed Gavin Gallagher, who rattled the ball just wide of the upright.

An uncharacteristic missed header from Craig Ross allowed Elliott in on goal again with nine minutes of the half remaining, but Sneddon saved well with his legs before McGuffie headed over from the resultant corner.

Armstrong was late and high with a 38th-minute challenge on Simpson, but referee Mark Daly deemed a yellow card sufficient for the former Airdrie man.

Two minutes later Airdrie had one back, Fisher driving down the right and picking out Gentles with a low clearance, and the Rangers loanee finished well with a shot which curled away from Kelly to reduce the arrears.

Sneddon held another Elliott strike five minutes into the second half, with Dylan MacDonald then joining the Airdrie attack to win a corner against his old side.

The action heated up in the East Kilbride box on 54 minutes, Kelly unable to hold Burnside’s strike but two Airdrie attempts to force the ball home were well blocked.

The Diamonds had strong penalty claims from the corner kick which followed, Smith wrestled to the ground as he was about to get a shot away, but the referee was unmoved.

Burnside sent another fizzing effort over the bar on 56 minutes before East Kilbride sub Owen Calder went off injured only five minutes after coming on.

Airdrie made changes of their own as Dapo Mebude and Matty Yates replaced Simpson and Gentles, and a more advanced role for Gavin Gallagher resulted in a lovely equaliser on 63 minutes.

Sneddon’s kick-out was nodded on by Fisher, Gibson and Yates, and although the latter was flattened as he headed the ball, Gallagher played on – racing to the ball and lifting an exquisite side-footed finish over Kelly.

The Diamonds almost completed the turnaround on 67 minutes, Kelly denying Mebude with his legs when the net looked certain to bulge, and Ross sending a thumping header off the underside of the bar from the corner.

Yates smashed into the side netting after linking with Mebude on 71 minutes, and a period of full-blooded challenges saw Gavin Gallagher withdrawn after sustaining a head knock.

Mebude was unable to take advantage when Yates intercepted an 85th-minute kick-out, and Elliott squandered two good chances as the clock ticked down, first nodding wide from a good position, then firing tamely at Sneddon.

Airdrie were frustrated that no advantage was played when Darragh O’Connor took out Mebude two minutes into stoppage time, with Yates bearing down on goal.

The last chance of the match fell to the hosts, with McGuffie stepping up to take a free-kick on the 18-yard line, but sending it over via a deflection.

A point apiece after a thoroughly entertaining match, although the Diamonds will feel they had sufficient chances to take all three.