After sharing 11 goals in two cup ties earlier this month, Airdrie and Raith Rovers served up a drab goalless draw at the Excelsior Stadium on Saturday.
With goal-scoring chances at a premium, it was a frustrating afternoon for Raith striker Brian Graham, who returned to the scene of his recent Scottish Cup red card.
On this occasion it was Airdrie midfielder Jack Boyle who saw red after picking up two bookings in a minute midway through the second half.
But Raith, who have been more used to playing with the numerical disadvantage recently, were unable to punish the home side.
Graham said: ”There wasn’t too many chances. They started particularly well, and we just had to weather the storm, but I thought the game was different in the second half.
”We were more on the front foot and, with an extra man, we should have gone on to win the game it’s two points dropped for us.”
Rovers, without suspended pair Dougie Hill and Allan Walker, seemed to be suffering a Fife derby hangover in the first half as they struggled to match an energetic Airdrie side.
Ross Laidlaw was called into action three times to deny Paul Di Giacomo but Rovers could consider themselves fortunate to reach the half-time interval without losing a goal.
They did lose defender Laurie Ellis to injury, who limped off with a hamstring problem, replaced by Reece Donaldson.
Raith improved after the break, and Grant Anderson had the visitors’ first chance of note in the 49th minute, stabbing a Graham knock-down over from 10 yards.
In the 57th minute right-back Jason Thomson burst into the box but goalkeeper Grant Adam managed to save at his near post.
Raith had a let-off in the 61st minute when Boyle shot into the side-netting when a cut-back to available team mates may have resulted in a goal.
Boyle’s afternoon got worse when he was booked twice in the space of a minute.
Raith tried to push for a winner in the remaining 25 minutes but only managed to create one chance of note, substitute Greig Spence latching onto a Graham lay-off but his powerful low shot was kept out by Adam.
Raith boss Grant Murray admitted his team’s performance had left him frustrated.
”You’ve got to get into the opposition’s half to score goals, and we didn’t do that in the first half,” he said.