Airdrie Reserves lost out despite a battling second half display at home to Partick Thistle on Monday night.

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It was very much a game of two halves for the Diamonds, who featured experienced first teamers Kenny Arthur, David Lilley, Willie McLaren and Paul Di Giacomo in their starting line-up.

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Thistle almost took the lead inside the opening few minutes when Lee Gallagher saw his shot cannon off the crossbar. 

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The Jags didn’t have to wait too much longer before the ball was in the back of the net. In the 16th minute, Jonathan Black neatly slotted home from an Alan Archibald cross.

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The first half was all Partick Thistle and the hosts were struggling to create much going forward, with the strike pairing of Ryan Donnelly and Paul Di Giacomo being well marshalled by the Thistle defence.

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Gallagher, however, was causing problems at the other end and he nearly made it 2-0 on the half-hour mark when his free kick edged just past the post.

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Ten minutes before the interval, the Jags increased their lead thanks to neat play again from Gallagher. He found space out on the left and his pass found an unmarked David Wilson inside the penalty box. His first effort was well saved by Arthur, but he converted the rebound.

 

If the first half was all Partick, the second was all Airdrie, who upped the tempo and began to dictate the game.

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Lilley’s bullet header from a McLaren corner after 55 minutes gave Thistle keeper Glen Daniels no chance and was no less than the Diamonds deserved after a period of sustained pressure.

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Airdrie had the ball in the net with 12 minutes left, but young Liam Coogans was adjudged to have been offside following a terrific pass across the area from Sean Lynch.

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Despite creating chance after chance, the Diamonds were unable to equalise and Partick closed out the game for a 2-1 victory.

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Airdrie Reserves: Arthur, Lynch, Nicoll (McSherry), Drummond, Lilley, Barclay, Jack Boyle, Kirkpatrick, Di Giacomo (Coogans), Donnelly (Brown), McLaren. 

Callum Carson at New Broomfield