For the third year in a row St Johnstone have been dumped out of the Scottish Cup in the fourth round.
They haven’t won a game in the competition since Jason Kerr lifted the trophy at Hampden Park in 2021.
And Craig Levein’s side can have no complaints about their early exit this time around.
Their Championship opponents were sharper and more creative for the bulk of the contest and deservedly progressed to the last 16 thanks to a second half Nikolay Todorov close-range finish.
Benji Kimpioka was the only one of Saints’ three January recruits to start.
He was heavily involved in most of his new team’s best attacking moves and after beating his man with a drop of the shoulder early in the contest he almost managed to slip through a ball to strike-partner, Nicky Clark.
But the best two chances of the first half were Airdrie’s – on both occasions after Perth players had given the ball away deep in their own territory.
First Graham Carey attempted a blind pass that Adam Frizzell read and intercepted.
Dimitar Mitov made a good save low to his right but Frizzell should have scored.
The former Kilmarnock man later dispossessed Andy Considine, who rectified the situation with a sliding block on the shot.
Half-time change
The Saints midfield – without Dan Phillips – wasn’t giving Levein the control he would have wanted and the Perth boss made a half-time alteration.
Sven Sprangler replaced Fran Franczak and the back three was changed to a four.
The flow of the game remained the same, though, and Airdrie deservedly took the lead on 54 minutes.
Charlie Telfer played a long diagonal ball to the back post and after it was cut-back for Todorov, he had a straightforward finish past his best mate, Mitov, from six yards out.
It wasn’t until the 74th minute that Saints had a proper attempt at goal – a Carey shot from the edge of the box – but even then goalkeeper, Josh Rae, wasn’t really tested.
That was as close as they came to an equaliser and, all told, it was a meek exit from the cup.
Player ratings
Mitov 6.5, Gallacher 5.5 (Robinson, 66), Considine 6, McGowan 6, Gordon 7, Clark 6 (Jaiyesimi, 66), Carey 6, Kucheriavyi 5.5, Smith 6, Kimpioka 6.5 (May, 80), Franczak 6 (Sprangler, 45). Subs not used – Olufunwa, Turner-Cooke, Richards, Keltjens.
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