A superb Adam Frizzell goal wasn’t enough for Airdrie as they went down to Partick Thistle in a match which swung on a harsh red card.

With the Diamonds’ injury troubles continuing, there were unfamiliar full-back roles for Murray Aiken and Luke Badley-Morgan as Murray Johnson, Lewis McGrattan and Chris Mochrie came into the side for Kieran Wright, Dylan MacDonald and Cammy Bruce.

Ex-Diamonds Kyle Turner and Kanayo Megwa lined up for the Firhill side with Ben Stanway named among the substitutes.

After a 40-minute delay in which an injured match official was replaced, the game kicked off and it was the hosts who made the early running, Aiken and Sam Graham defending well to keep the Jags at bay in the opening minutes.

With only five minutes on the clock, Partick were in front when Badley-Morgan’s block on a Logan Chalmers shot spun directly into the path of Brian Graham, who slotted home from close range. Despite Airdrie’s appeals for offside, the goal stood.

The Diamonds’ first attack saw Frizzell’s seventh-minute pass mopped up by Myles Roberts in goal, and Gavin Gallagher’s fancy footwork led to a Mochrie run being snuffed out by a good tackle two minutes later.

Mochrie was getting into good attacking positions, and was forced out of play by Lee Ashcroft on 16 minutes, before disaster almost struck at the other end as Aiken slipped as he shaped to pass back to Johnson, leaving Chalmers a clear run on goal. The former Dundee United midfielder chose to go for the spectacular, lobbing Johnson but clipping the top of the crossbar.

Aiken and Gallagher were an unlikely last line of defence as Thistle increased the pressure, with Sam Graham also doing well against the direct running of Aidan Fitzpatrick.

Just as the home side looked to be turning the screw, Airdrie grabbed an equaliser of real quality as Frizzell fed Mochrie, who touched the ball on to McGrattan. The midfielder’s square pass took out the entire home defence, and Frizzell ran on to the ball to smash home a fantastic finish.

Badley-Morgan made a good sliding challenge as the hosts pushed to regain the advantage straight away, and there was no further goalmouth action before half-time.

Kris Doolan’s men came roaring out of the traps after the break, and Airdrie had the woodwork to thank for denying Megwa a thunderous strike a minute after the restart.

The Hibs loanee was in action at the other end four minutes later, doing well to read McGrattan’s cutback after a good run from the right flank.

McGrattan saw red a minute later, a heavy touch leaving him to lunge into a challenge with Kyle Turner, and although there was little to no contact, the referee quickly brandished his red card at the disconsolate Airdrie midfielder.

Scott Robinson should have punished Airdrie straight away, but fired over from just outside the six-yard box.

Graham was denied a second on 62 minutes as his header was correctly flagged offside, with Johnson plucking a looping cross out of the frontman’s path three minutes later.

As the hosts pushed for a winner it took two Graham blocks and a top save from Johnson to keep the scores level on 67 minutes, but five minutes later the ball was in the net again as Milne burst down the left and fired in a low cross which Brian Graham turned in at the back post.

A series of fouls, bookings and substitutions slowed the game down as a frustrated Diamonds side tried to find a way back in, but as the clock ticked down they got little change from the officials, with Armstrong being penalised for handball after being pushed over, and Watson being pulled down in the box with play waved on.

Badley-Morgan and Johnson were called upon to produce last-ditch blocks as another wave of home pressure came, and the Diamonds were out of luck when substitute Cammy Cooper found the net with a fine angled finish only to be caught marginally offside.

Roberts dived on a stoppage-time effort from Airdrie sub Lewis McGregor, and the final whistle signalled another frustrating defeat.

Another improved performance from the Diamonds, who fought and scrapped for everything despite their numerical disadvantage, but yet again nothing to show for it.

Ayr United are next up as Airdrie look to change their fortunes and start climbing the Championship table.