Josh Gentles was the hero as Airdrie grabbed a late victory after hosts Alloa Athletic had pegged back a two-goal Diamonds lead.

John Rankin made three changes to the side which beat Elgin City 5-0 in midweek, defenders Dylan MacDonald and Sam Fisher returning alongside striker Matty Yates, with Kwame Boateng, Reghan Tumilty and Robbie Mahon moving to the substitutes bench.

The Diamonds started brightly, Kian Taylor going close with a headed effort from Connor Smith’s second-minute corner before Sam Fisher led a promising attack down the right wing.

The home side hit back through Stefan Scougall, whose fizzing effort was wide of the target on ten minutes.

Nobody in a Diamond shirt was close enough to get a touch on Smith’s square ball across the box a minute later, with MacDonald nipping in to prevent a counter-attack.

A tight offside decision brought play to a halt before Matthew Aitken rifled home on 14 minutes, with Gavin Gallagher then calling Wasps keeper Lawton Green into action with a 25-yard effort which the New Zealander held.

The Diamonds went in front on 21 minutes, Sam Fisher’s strike blocked only as far as Lewis Gibson, who moved the ball out of his feet and curled a lovely strike beyond Green’s despairing dive.

Yates had his trademark long-range effort six minutes later, a dipping strike from just inside the Alloa half falling the wrong side of the far post.

Gavin Gallagher sent another good effort just wide of the target on 29 minutes, but two minutes later the Diamonds did have a second.

Smith’s corner was met by Sam Fisher, who drew a point-blank save from Green. Craig Ross followed up but the keeper was again there to make a fantastic stop. There was no third save however, as the loose ball broke for Gentles, who did well to twist his body and get over the ball to drive it home.

Gentles looked to have two good chances to double his tally, first being hauled back by Scougall on 38 minutes then seeing a 20-yard strike well blocked a minute later.

The next chance fell to Alloa, and when Kieran Wright was unable to hold Kyle Glasgow’s angled strike, it was Aitken who reacted quickest to poke home.

Airdrie almost restored their two-goal lead on the stroke of half-time, but Green was equal to Gavin Gallagher’s volley.

Five minutes into the second half Green denied Gallagher again, smothering a spinning strike after some neat interplay by the Diamonds.

The home fans were shouting for a penalty when Ross and Aitken came together in the Airdrie box after a risky headed passback, but the Stenhousemuir loanee went down easily and referee Abbie Hendry waved away the claims.

Fisher blocked bravely on 54 minutes, with Glasgow fortunate to escape with a booking after a late lunge as MacDonald emerged with the ball.

Another Wright parry was cleared by the Diamonds defence after Cameron O’Donnell had unleashed a 20-yard strike, and Devine atoned for his own misjudged passback by tackling Yates well.

Wright made a good front-post stop on 62 minutes as Alloa worked a corner goalward, and seven minutes later Aitken sent a headed effort wide as the hosts pushed for an equaliser.

A thrusting run by MacDonald ended with the defender’s 72nd-minute shot being blocked when perhaps a pass would have been the better option, and five minutes later the Diamonds were punished when a penalty was awarded to Alloa after Wright had dived at the feet of Joseph McGrath.

Wasps skipper Scott Taggart stepped up to slam home the spot-kick, and the tie was level with 15 minutes remaining.

The turnaround was almost completed on 84 minutes when Wright did well to get a punch on a wide free-kick, but the ball broke to Max Cameron who connected well only for Ross to appear from nowhere to put in a heroic goal-line block.

The late let-off spurred the Diamonds into action, and after a sensational display on Tuesday evening, substitute Robbie Mahon was at it again – hitting the bye-line on 89 minutes and squaring for Gentles, who had slipped his marker, to apply a fantastic first-time finish and send the visiting fans into raptures.

Callum Burnside almost added gloss to the scoreline from the bench after evading a number of challenges on a thrusting run four minutes into stoppage time, but the former Alloa man was unable to stop the ball running out of play.

The final whistle sparked celebratory scenes for the Diamonds, who will now look to make it three consecutive wins when Queen of the South visit the Albert Bartlett next weekend.