The spoils were shared between Airdrie and Livingston after a blood and thunder six-goal thriller at the Albert Bartlett Stadium.

After twice taking the lead, the Diamonds were staring at defeat until substitute Liam McStravick popped up with five minutes remaining to claw back another point in the race to avoid the drop.

Suspended player-manager Rhys McCabe dropped out of the side which beat Hamilton Academical last weekend as did McStravick, Dean McMaster and Gavin Gallagher their replacements.

A lively start for the home side saw Aidan Wilson beaten to a fourth-minute free-kick by Jérôme Prior, but the Livi keeper kicked the ball straight to Lewis McGrattan, whose speculative effort was gratefully held by the Frenchman.

Aaron Reid pulled up after chasing an eighth-minute through ball and had to be replaced by Ricco Diack, and things almost went from bad to worse for Airdrie two minutes later as the crossbar denied Andrew Shinnie from the edge of the box.

Two Airdrie penalty claims were denied as Diack and Lewis Strapp went down under challenges in the box, but referee Matthew MacDermid was unimpressed on both occasions.

Ben Wilson found no takers for an excellent 20th-minute cross, but the Diamonds were ahead two minutes later.

Robbie Muirhead’s free-kick was punched clear by Cade Melrose, and a slick passing move took Airdrie up the park with Gavin Gallagher collecting a ball from the left and squaring for McMaster, whose shot snuck in at the far post to give the Diamonds the lead.

The advantage didn’t last long, however, as a slice of luck handed the visitors an equaliser just two minutes later. Muirhead lined up another free-kick, this time on the edge of the box, and as Melrose dived to smother the low effort, the ball flicked off an Airdrie heel and nestled in the other side of the net.

Airdrie weren’t satisfied with parity, and regained their lead with the next meaningful attack of the game. Pressure from McGrattan saw Macaulay Tait lose possession just outside the box, with the Livi man’s claims for a foul rightly ignored. McGrattan skipped past Stephen Kelly and sent in a shot which beat Prior but not the post, and the ball broke to Ben Wilson who calmly slotted home.

A spell of Livingston pressure followed, but the home defence stood up well when required.

Strapp’s claims of a deliberate elbow by Jamie Brandon fell on deaf ears as half-time approached, and Muirhead passed up a couple of late chances, heading over the bar before doing well to win possession then screwing a shot past the post.

Gallagher almost opened the second half in style, dancing through the middle before seeing a right-footed effort deflected back to Prior.

Reece McAlear fired over as play began to swing back in the away side’s favour, Melrose taking charge to claim a loose ball on 49 minutes before Kelly’s cross landed on the roof of the net four minutes later.

Another slack pass from Prior almost gave Strapp the chance to further Airdrie’s lead, but the goalkeeper recovered to stop the defender’s tame effort.

McGrattan was in action at either end on 56 minutes, first seeing Brandon stop a one-two between the midfielder and Wilson as Airdrie countered, then getting back to block a Cristian Montaño effort.

A well-timed challenge from Kelly halted a thrusting Diack run a minute later, and Alex Bannon headed just wide with 58 minutes played.

Play continued to swing from end to end, Muirhead nodding past the top corner before a Livingston defender got a head to Gallagher’s 64th-minute strike.

As the pressure from the away side continued to mount, an equaliser came via a setpiece as Danny Wilson rose highest to nod home a corner kick delivery on 67 minutes.

Muirhead looked set to hand his side the lead three minutes later, but an outstanding recovery from Bannon allowed the defender to slide in and win the ball from the Livi striker.

Livingston did take the lead for the first time in the match with 76 minutes on the clock, and it took a strike of real quality from Kelly to put David Martindale’s side ahead. As a square ball came across from the right, a smart dummy by substitute Scott Pittman allowed the number 10 to wrap his foot around the ball and curl a sweet finish beyond Melrose.

After leading twice the Diamonds found themselves behind, and it looked like it wouldn’t be their day when Muirhead escaped with a yellow after a poor studs-up challenge on Melrose.

Stevie May was perhaps also lucky to only see yellow after a very high challenge on the corner of the box, but Airdrie exacted their revenge from the free-kick when Adam Frizzell picked out Aidan Wilson, who remained composed and fired a low ball across the box which substitute Liam McStravick tucked away at the back post.

Livingston went close to regaining their lead when May sent a half-volley inches wide on 87 minutes, with a deflected effort also going close in the final minute.

A vital header prevented McStravick’s stoppage-time cross finding a Diamond shirt, and the sides had to settle for a draw.

With the teams immediately above Airdrie on the end of defeats, it could yet prove a vital point for the Diamonds with the one-time 13-point gap to ninth now reduced to just six points.