Airdrie had an afternoon to forget against local rivals Hamilton Academical as the Diamonds lost heavily at the Albert Bartlett Stadium.

New signing Flynn Duffy was named among the substitutes as Kieran Wright, Lewis McGrattan, Chris Mochrie and Terrell Agyemang came in to replace Murray Johnson, Murray Aiken, Rhys Armstrong and Cammy Cooper from the line-up which faced Raith Rovers on Tuesday.

After a first-minute warning when Wright was able to keep out Kevin O’Hara’s near-post flick, the visitors went ahead inside the third minute. Although some indecisive defending was to blame for the ball landing at the feet of Connor Smith on the edge of the area, Wright was unlucky with the finish as the slightest touch of Craig Watson’s head changed the flight of the ball as the Airdrie keeper dived.

Airdrie hit back through Lewis McGregor, whose fourth-minute run was well blocked for the first corner of the match.

Wilson saw his path to goal illegally blocked by Smith on seven minutes, and Watson saw a hooked effort deflected behind a minute later.

Just as the Diamonds looked to be mounting a fightback, Hamilton grabbed a second. A free-kick was worked short to Smith, who skipped into the box and fired in a cross which took three deflections on the way into the net, the unfortunate Sam Graham getting the final touch.

Mochrie curled a decent effort wide on 16 minutes before Wright held a Euan Henderson effort, with Oli Shaw somehow missing an open goal after picking up the loose ball from another Wright save.

Charlie Albinson smothered an angled Wilson shot as play raced from end to end.

Henderson was denied a shot at goal by a well-time Luke Badley-Morgan challenge in the 21st minute, and Albinson got everything behind a McGregor shot on the turn two minutes later.

Last-ditch defending prevented Watson getting the killer touch on a square pass as the first half continued in hectic fashion.

The sides continued to trade chances, Cammy Bruce seeing a cross nodded behind before Steven Bradley turned wide at the far post when he should have scored.

A defensive header put Adam Frizzell’s 40th-minute effort over the top before an unbelievable Albiston save kept out McGregor’s header on the stroke of half time.

Hamilton were denied a third in first-half stoppage time when a close range finish was foiled by the offside flag.

Duffy made his Diamonds debut at half-time, replacing Bruce, but it was the visitors who started the second half brightly, Bradley stabbing wide five minutes after the restart.

Four minutes later the third goal did come, O’Hara eventually poking home after a number of goal-line blocks in an almighty goalmouth scramble.

Albinson saved well from McGregor on 56 minutes, reacting well to get to the loose ball ahead of McGrattan, and his opposite number Wright kept out a near-post effort at the other end four minutes later.

McGregor went close with a 65th-minute free-kick, and Frizzell saw a long-range strike held by Albinson as the match slipped away from the Diamonds.

The Accies keeper saved well from Airdrie sub Cammy Cooper on 67 minutes before fielding Watson’s 70th-minute header.

A fierce McGregor shot cleared the crossbar with 17 minutes remaining, and when Hamilton sub Dylan McGowan squeezed home an 82nd-minute header, it was game over.

A visit to league leaders Falkirk is up next for the Diamonds, who remain four points behind Dunfermline and five behind Morton at the foot of the table.