Despite a battling performance for 75 minutes, having played the match with 10 men, Forfar Athletic went down fighting in this foot-of-the-table clash.
The wheels came off the manager’s plans when midfielder Eddie Malone was sent off after lunging into a 17th-minute challenge where no threat arose, and effectively ended Airdrie midfielder Ryan Conroy’s participation at the same time.
The game started tentatively with the home side having a number of long-range efforts that failed to trouble Forfar.
The home side lost centre-back Jordan McGregor through injury as they reshuffled for the second half.
Jim Weir’s side went ahead on 54 minutes. Ousman See showed great awareness and passed to Matthew Aitken. He moved the ball on to Dylan Easton, who netted from close range.
As Airdrie tried to press forward Forfar kept their shape.
However, with 68 minutes gone Airdrie equalised when Willis Furtado controlled a loose ball with his back to goal, was allowed to turn, then fired the ball low and hard into the right-hand side of Marc McCallum’s net.
With 10 minutes to play Furtado was given space around the Forfar penalty area and his ball appeared to be too heavy across goal. However, substitute Jake Hastie was given the time and space to lash the ball high into the net.
Forfar to their credit did push forward, forcing Airdrie keeper Rohan Ferguson to make a couple of saves in the closing minutes, with Scott Lochhead’s long-range effort forcing the keeper to react well.
Forfar boss Jim Weir said: “There is no doubt the complexion of the match changed with the sending off.
“I told the players ahead of the game that I knew the referee well and how he treats the game, so I have still to see the challenge but if it was deserved I will be really disappointed and the players cannot say they were not warned.”
He added: “It is all about decision-making and the thing for me is that players don’t communicate with each other, and that happens at so many levels and today that was to cost us.
“We are really struggling with around eight players on the treatment table. We did not have a central midfield player to bring on after the sending off.”