Raith Rovers manager John McGlynn called his side’s performance “disgraceful” after they crashed out of the Scottish Communities League Cup at New Broomfield.
The Stark’s Park men had no response to first-half goals from Derek Holmes and Ryan Donnelly as the lower-league Diamonds lived up to their cup shock-troops reputation.
McGlynn said, “The first-half performance was abysmal, absolutely disgraceful and I’m livid and raging. In the second half there was a bit of an improvement, as you would expect, and we fought back a bit.
“But we were lulled into a false sense of security after Airdrie’s result at the weekend (a 5-1 home defeat to Cowdenbeath) and they looked to bounce back from that.”
Despite Airdrie having most of the early possession, the best chance of the opening exchanges fell to the visitors in the form of John Baird, who latched on to a neat through ball by Danny Thomson, shooting just wide from a tight angle.
The home side just lacked that finishing touch in the final third as the Raith defence held firm.
However, the Diamonds got a deserved reward in 25 minutes when Holmes picked the ball up on the edge of the box and curled a left-foot shot into the top corner.
The home side were forced into an early substitution on the halfway mark when Willie Dyer scythed down Fraser Keast on the right flank.
The winger had to be replaced by Graeme Owens but there was no real malice in the challenge and Dyer was merely booked.
Airdrie did not sit back on their lead and pressed in search of a second while the visitors were clearly in shock at having gone behind.
Things grew worse for the visitors when Airdrie doubled their advantage on 41 minutes, Donnelly weaving his way through the Rovers defence before unleashing a powerful low drive past David McGurn.
McGlynn made an early change in the second half in a bid to change his side’s fortunes as he threw on striker Brian Graham.
Graham thought he had made an immediate impact when he headed home a looping ball from close range, but referee George Salmond ruled the goal out for a push on keeper Paul McKane.
At least Graham was causing more problems for the Diamonds’ defence and he should have pulled one back on 62 minutes when he latched on to a neat through ball by Allan Walker only to be denied by keeper McKane’s excellent save.
Rovers again thought they had got themselves back into the game and again Graham was the man in the thick of it, but this time Graham’s header was cleared off the line by Nathan Brockley.
McGlynn sent on Ross Callachan and Dougie Hill in a final throw of the dice but it was to no avail as Airdrie held out for victory.