Five different scorers found the net as Airdrie eased past Dumbarton and into the fifth round of the Scottish Gas Men’s Scottish Cup.

Despite all the usual cliches about potential banana skins and difficult away venues, the Diamonds topped off a professional performance with some excellent finishing to make sure there was no shock at the Marbill Coaches Stadium.

With Lewis Strapp and player-manager Rhys McCabe withdrawing through injury during Tuesday night’s trip to Livingston, Sam Graham and Lewis McGrattan stepped into the starting line-up, and the pair rewarded their boss with outstanding performances.

McGrattan opened the scoring with the first chance of the match after just four minutes, nodding Chris Mochrie’s neat heel-flick past a static home defence and beating keeper Owen Hayward to the ball to prod home.

Dumbarton reacted well, and it took a good Dylan MacDonald header to clear the danger from a sixth-minute long throw before Kieran Wright was at full stretch to make a fingertip save a minute later.

As Airdrie threatened again Adam Frizzell stole possession and teed up Ben Wilson, but Hayward spread himself well to deny the striker.

Airdrie’s second came on 11 minutes, Mason Hancock’s driving run winning a corner, which Gavin Gallagher played short to Wilson. Taking the return pass, the Diamonds midfielder drifted into a shooting position before firing through a ruck of players and into the net.

Both keepers were in action five minutes later, Wright punching a good Matthew Shiels cross out before Hayward made a brave save at the feet of Wilson.

The first black mark of the afternoon came on 17 minutes when Hancock pulled up off the ball, leading to his withdrawal. Flynn Duffy was the early replacement.

The hosts survived a 20th-minute penalty claim when Frizzell’s effort struck a hand, and Finlay Gray sent a powerful strike just wide four minutes later.

Airdrie’s injury woes continued on the half-hour mark, Rhys Armstrong replacing Gallagher who was unable to continue after landing awkwardly defending a corner.

Hayward saved a trademark outside-of-the-boot effort from ex-Dumbarton man Frizzell with ten minutes of the first half remaining, with the keeper denying McGrattan four minutes later.

The half ended with a couple of chances for the hosts, but Wright and Duffy stood strong to keep the scoreline at 2-0 to the visitors.

The second half took much longer to spark into life, the game descending into a scrappy affair as the pitch continued to cut up.

An early Gray effort was mishit against Dean McMaster and Duffy saw his 52nd-minute effort deflected wide.

MacDonald put one narrowly over the bar before Mouhamed Niang went close at the other end.

Joel Mumbongo had a similar miss on 64 minutes, and the substitute would rue his profligacy ten minutes later when Airdrie got a quickfire double to put the result beyond doubt.

Mochrie’s perseverance paid off as he chased a ball down the left flank on 74 minutes. The running power of Niang made him favourite to win possession, but the Airdrie man came out with the ball, cut inside and reversed his shot to grab his third goal in as many games.

With Dumbarton still regrouping, Wilson got Airdrie’s fourth, racing Sons skipper Mark Durnan for a long ball. The former Dundee United man could only lift the ball ahead of Wilson, who brought it down and away from the keeper with a sublime piece of control, and stroked home from a tight angle.

Wilson could have had a second with five minutes remaining, but a vital interception from Gray denied the Diamonds’ top scorer another sight of goal.

There was no denying Craig Watson with four minutes remaining, the defender rising at the back post to nod in Frizzell’s corner delivery.

Dumbarton found the net with the last kick of the ball, substitute Craig McGuffie curling home from just outside the box to frustrate Wright and his defenders who had been excellent throughout.

The win sees the Diamonds into the last 16 of the competition, with the draw to be made on Monday evening. A return to league action follows, with Dunfermline the visitors in next weekend’s crunch tie.