Queen’s Park pounced on two defensive lapses to take the points back to Glasgow, though the Diamonds were twice denied a way back into contention.

With a flurry of injuries affecting Rhys McCabe’s selection, a new centre-half pairing of recent signings Sam Graham and Luke Badley-Morgan were pitched in with little chance to settle.

The defensive duo were among five changes made from last weekend’s cup exit at the hands of Dundee, with McCabe, Kieran Wright, Dean McMaster, Cammy Bruce and Murray Aiken also missing out. Murray Johnson, Lewis McGrattan and Rhys Armstrong were the other players to step into the starting line-up.

With only 90 seconds played the visitors were gifted the lead, Nikola Ujdur nicking possession for Dom Thomas to play in Jack Turner, who capitalised on Graham’s stumble and picked his spot.

Airdrie responded well, McGrattan driving forward to win a corner from which Adam Frizzell picked out Mason Hancock, his shot drifting just wide of the near post.

McGrattan and Armstrong combined on ten minutes, teeing up Ben Wilson whose cutback evaded the Diamonds players attacking the box.

Hancock’s 14th-minute cross again found no takers after good play by Frizzell, and four minutes later Airdrie were denied a stonewall penalty when Armstrong leapt for a Hancock cross with a two-handed push in the back from Fieldson denying him a connection.

The Diamonds were again incorrectly denied by the officials on 22 minutes, Wilson bursting between two defenders to batter home Hancock’s curling delivery – but as the home side celebrated and the visitors trudged back to the halfway line, the far-side linesman signalled an offside.

Things went from bad to worse two minutes later when a low pass into the Airdrie box wasn’t dealt with and Johnson was unable to hold a lofted ball across goal. Zak Rudden was unmarked on the goal-line for the simplest of tap-ins.

Having dominated since the early goal, the incorrect calls and the second goal proved a source of frustration for the home side, and Queen’s Park were able to enjoy a spell of attacking play.

A fingertip stop from Johnson denied Sean Welsh on 27 minutes, and after Hancock had headed wide from a Frizzell corner, Ujdur sent a header wide of the upright when it looked easier to score.

Thomas sent a trademark curling effort wide of the top corner with five minutes of the first half remaining, and the Queens captain was denied by Johnson three minutes later.

The half ended with two bookings for the visitors and a Badley-Morgan volley which was blocked in a crowded box.

Airdrie had another penalty shout nine minutes after the restart, Frizzell being held back as he got a shot away, but the effort was blocked and referee Craig Napier saw nothing wrong once again.

A minute later Wilson applied a deft touch on Hancock’s pass to take the ball beyond Calum Ferrie, but could only watch in agony as it came off the base of the post and was booted clear.

Graham got a good block on a Turner strike as play began to open up, and Diamonds sub Aaron Reid once again beat Ferrie on 67 minutes, but his stretch for the ball meant there wasn’t enough power on the shot to see it home.

A 70th-minute Armstrong cross was inches too high for Frizzell, and Ferrie got everything behind Chris Mochrie’s strike seven minutes later.

Wilson screwed a shot wide of the target with nine minutes left, and as Queen’s Park moved out quickly it took a well-timed Badley-Morgan challenge to prevent a third.

In the final minute of the 90, Ferrie made a good save at the feet of Wilson before restarting play unaware that the Diamonds striker was lurking. Wilson ran in to nick possession, and Ferrie chased him out the box before diving and handling the ball, leaving the referee no choice but to show a red card.

The resultant free-kick was struck into the wall by Wilson, who lashed the rebound wide, and the last action came when Dylan MacDonald’s shot was charged down just inside the box.

A frustrating afternoon for the Diamonds, who now travel to the scene of their promotion triumph to take on Hamilton Academical in a week’s time.