Ayr United ended Airdrie’s unbeaten run with a convincing victory at Somerset Park on a day when nothing went in the Diamonds’ favour.

With two more matches coming hot on the heels of this one, manager Rhys McCabe made three changes to the team which won at home against Raith Rovers on Tuesday evening, goalscorer Lewis McGrattan coming back in alongside Sam Graham and Ricco Diack, while Aidan Wilson, Liam McStravick and Chris Mochrie dropped out.

Ayr started strongly, their powerful running up front causing problems which would continue all afternoon. George Oakley saw a second minute shot blocked before home fans were screaming for a penalty after Adam Frizzell and Marco Rus contested a loose ball after Kieran Wright’s punch.

With just six minutes on the clock Oakley did find the net, rising to power home Jay Henderson’s cross from the right.

The Diamonds reacted well, Gavin Gallagher unlucky to see his low eighth-minute cross run just behind Ben Wilson, and strong penalty claims denied as Diack was pushed to the ground as he jumped to meet a cross.

Wilson was unlucky with a flicked finish after Frizzell had squared from the left, his effort drifted just wide of the far post.

The momentum swung back in the hosts’ favour around the 20-minute mark, Graham heading out another wicked Henderson cross before Wright dived to push a shot round the post after a free-kick had pinballed around the box.

Connor McLennan sent a 23rd-minute volley wide before Scott McMann’s header cleared the bar following a Henderson free-kick.

Rus fired over and Oakley saw a cutback smartly cut out by Dean McMaster just after the half-hour mark as Scott Brown’s side continued to dominate.

Lewis Strapp did well to block Henderson’s 36th-minute run into the box, but at the expense of a corner kick which saw Ayr grab their second. Henderson’s delivery was nodded back into the danger area by Oakley, with George Stanger glancing home from a yard out.

Before the Diamonds could regroup, Curtis Main made it three, finishing at the near-post with a smart flick deceiving Wright.

Wright claimed a 41st-minute cross just ahead of Oakley, and there was no further action in a tough first half.

The half-time introduction of Lewis McGregor and Aaron Reid sparked some life into Airdrie, who almost pulled one back inside the opening minutes of the second half as Frizzell’s cross curled toward the top corner, but one-time Airdrie loanee Josh Clarke, a deadline-day signing for the Honest Men, got across to paw the ball away.

Wilson was frustrated by Euan Anderson on 48 minutes, a threaded pass sending the Diamonds striker through on goal only for the referee to ignore the advantage and blow for a foul on Gallagher.

Ten minutes later Airdrie had a penalty, persistent play by Reid seeing him nick possession from Stanger in the Ayr box. As the Diamonds sub turned away from the defender, a clear trip saw referee Anderson point to the spot and Wilson sent Clarke the wrong way with an inch-perfect penalty.

Ayr retaliated through Rus, but Wright was well placed to hold his curling effort, and Bannon showed good strength to foil another attack on 64 minutes.

Wilson applied a glancing touch to a 68th-minute McGregor cross, but his netbound effort struck Clarke as the keeper desperately dived across his goal and the ball stayed out.

After a scrappy ten minute spell, Ayr got their fourth, quick interplay on the right allowing the home side to break in numbers, and as two Airdrie defenders collided the ball was squared to Main who sent home a powerful strike from the edge of the box.

Clarke got his fingertips to a good Gallagher strike as Airdrie looked to cut the deficit again, and Lenny Agbaire’s headed block denied McGregor on 81 minutes.

Frizzell fired just over with two minutes remaining, but it was too little too late for the Diamonds, who fell to another heavy defeat at Somerset Park.

With Hamilton Academical and Dunfermline Athletic both picking up points at home, Airdrie’s day went from bad to worse, and the Diamonds will be looking to quickly get back to winning ways against Falkirk on Tuesday evening.