Dylan MacDonald says Airdrie’s opening-day win over Raith Rovers can inspire the Diamonds as they travel to Stark’s Park looking to draw level on points with the Fifers.

Speaking after Saturday’s home defeat at the hands of Ayr United, defender MacDonald took no consolation from his Man of the Match performance as he summed up another frustrating result.

“Disappointing. I can’t really put it into words – it’s another defeat, isn't it? So it’s a big loss.

“It’s not what you’re wanting. We need to get back to winning ways, and hopefully we can do that on Tuesday and kick-start the season.”

Much has changed since Airdrie’s August win over Raith Rovers, with the Kirkcaldy club announcing the shock dismissal of ex-Diamonds boss Ian Murray in the immediate aftermath.

Former Barnsley manager Neill Collins took the Stark’s Park reins in September, and MacDonald expects to see a transformation in the Rovers side.

“I think they’ll be a different team. I think we’ve been a different team too, though – but hopefully we can get back to playing with that confidence we had in the first game.

“If we do that there’s no reason we can’t go there and pick up three points.”

Despite their lofty achievements last year, both sides have struggled for form in the first quarter of the season, and an away win on Tuesday would see Airdrie close the three point gap at the foot of the table – although Raith have the superior goal difference.

MacDonald believes that memories of the win in August can spur the Diamonds on to another victory.

“Obviously when things are going against you, you look anywhere for a confidence boost. Knowing that we beat them last time can give us a bit of a lift going into the game.

“That works both ways, they’ll be ready to go as well – they’ll be looking to make up for that loss by getting the win over us.

“We’ll just need to wait and see. We know we’re capable of winning again, and hopefully that’s what will happen.”

And after hobbling off the pitch at the end of Saturday’s match, Dylan will be hoping to be fit for the trip to Kirkcaldy – especially as his solitary Airdrie goal came in that opening fixture.

“I must be due another one! I was hoping for one on Saturday but I didn’t really get any chances.

“It’s nice to get on the scoresheet, but it doesn’t matter who scores or how they do it, we’ll take whatever it takes to get us the win.”

Manager Rhys McCabe says the prospect of another game so soon after Saturday is a double-edged sword.

“It gives you a chance to rectify things that you look to improve on. In an ideal world, with the injuries and whatnot, Saturday/Saturday games would be my choice, but it’s another game and we’d rather play than train.

“I think it will be a different challenge. Although we’ve had good success against them in recent seasons, it’s always been really tightly fought. The new manager will no doubt want to put his stamp and ideas on things, but Raith will know the qualities that we have.

“It’s important going away from home we put in another solid performance in terms of the intensity and application to the game, and hopefully we’ll get that wee bit of luck that we need.”

The Diamonds boss could be without ten first team players for the trip to Kirkcaldy, with MacDonald and Gavin Gallagher rated “touch-and-go” after withdrawing with injuries on Saturday. Aidan Wilson, Dean McMaster, Liam McStravick, Aaron Reid, Mason Hancock, Cammy Bruce and McCabe himself remain sidelined, and Lewis McGrattan serves the second game of his two-match suspension.

Referee Nick Walsh is in charge of his first match featuring Airdrie since a league cup tie against Livingston in July 2018.

Match tickets are available using the link below, and our DiamondsTV video (subscribers outwith the UK and Ireland) and audio (pay-per-match worldwide) streams are available.