There was to be no repeat of last year’s Christmas comeback at Hampden as Airdrie went down 2-0 to Queen’s Park for the second time this season.

With defender Mason Hancock once again sidelined after last week’s return to the squad, Luke Badley-Morgan came back in to the starting XI with Flynn Duffy and Craig Watson shuffling positions.

The home side were on the attack straight from kick-off, but Sam Graham got across Zak Rudden who could only send a weak shot straight at Kieran Wright.

Airdrie responded through Lewis McGrattan, who advanced down the right before seeing his square pass to Ben Wilson cut out by Cammy Kerr.

McGrattan looked lively again on eight minutes, but Adam Frizzell was quickly surrounded after accepting the pass into the box, and the Spiders cleared.

An ambitious Rudden effort from just inside the Airdrie half never looked like troubling Wright, but the home side took the lead on 14 minutes after the Diamonds keeper could only palm out a fierce strike, with captain Dom Thomas on hand to tuck away the loose ball.

It was another frustrating goal to lose for Airdrie, who were aggrieved that Thomas wasn’t penalised for handball earlier in the move.

Lewis McGregor pulled a shot just wide of the post two minutes later, but the next chance fell to the hosts and saw them double their lead, a 21st-minute diagonal pass finding Louis Longridge, who lifted the ball over the advancing Wright for an excellent angled finish.

Longridge almost grabbed his own second a couple of minutes later, but Duffy slide in to batter the shot behind.

Watson saw a 25th-minute strike curl away from goal, and Ferrie was quickly out to beat McGregor to a long ball four minutes later.

As play began to swing from end to end, it took another good Duffy block to end a flowing counter-attack just after the half-hour mark.

Rudden and McGregor both put chances over the bar, before the Airdrie winger saw Ferrie get down well to save a powerful effort with eight minutes of the half remaining.

Wilson’s goalbound effort was blocked by an unsuspecting defender on 40 minutes, with Rudden diverting a low cross wide of the upright in the last action of the first half.

Four minutes after the restart Gavin Gallagher and Rhys Armstrong combined well through the middle, but the latter’s final ball was too heavy for the incoming Airdrie strikers.

Rudden’s penalty claims were rightly ignored as Wright raced out to save at the former Dundee striker’s feet on 51 minutes, and the Diamonds keeper made another good near-post stop as an angled effort was thundered in three minutes later.

McGrattan was just beaten to Gallagher’s teasing cross before a similar chance at the other end saw Thomas power a header wide.

Rudden went close again on 63 minutes, but his shot across goal fell the wrong side of the post.

Badley-Morgan times his 72nd-minute tackle to perfection as Rudden looked to be through on goal again, and Jack Thomson shot well over as the hosts enjoyed another spell of pressure.

Airdrie sub Chris Mochrie couldn’t steer his header beyond Ferrie after a strong run and cross from Wilson, and an 85th-minute Roddy MacGregor effort was blocked into Wright’s path as the last chance of the match came and went.

Three home games follow now for the Diamonds as they once again seek to turn their fortunes around.