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Harry Milne’s first goal of the season was one of the many highlights of what was a cracking cinch League One encounter against the Diamonds.

Callum Smith replied in the second half, with both sides rattling the woodwork in an enthralling 90 minutes that proved excellent entertainment for the 875 fans inside Balmoral Stadium.

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We had by far the better of the first half – and scoring opportunities – but the full-timers from Lanarkshire came back strongly in the latter stages, so a share of the spoils seemed fair.

The draw at least keeps us seven points clear of Airdrie, but we had to work for the right to remain in that position.

We set the tone from the off and were desperately unlucky not to go ahead inside the first five minutes.

Rory McAllister broke into Airdrie area, on the left, and managed to smuggle the ball past advancing keeper Max Currie, but then saw his shot from a tight angle deflected wide into the side netting by an Airdrie defender.

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Fraser Fyvie took the resulting corner and Currie only just managed to punch the ball away from the head of Morgyn Neill at the back post to concede another corner.

Iain Vigurs took that one, from the right and Neill was desperately unlucky to see his effort from eight yards rebound to safety off the Airdrie crossbar.

Our early pressure paid off when we took the lead in the seventh minute – and it was a cracker!

Mark Reynolds spotted MILNE making a break down the left, so fed the ball out to him.

Milne then skipped past two defenders before playing a quick one-two with McAllister and then showed great composure to guide a right foot shot beyond the reach of Currie from 14-yards.

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We were just inches away from making it 2-0 in the 14th minute, after Milne had played a great ball through to Fyvie.

The midfielder managed to get past the advancing Currie and then saw his net bound shot hooked clear by Brody Paterson, just before the ball crossed the line.

Rhys McCabe almost scored a spectacular equaliser for Airdrie in the 16th minute.

He tried his luck from a free-kick just inside his own half and Stuart McKenzie was forced to back-track before managing to touch the ball over his crossbar.

Play swept to the other end and Fyvie saw his close range shot blocked by Currie after McAllister and Mitch Megginson had combined well to get the ball to him.

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It was Airdrie’s turn to rattle the woodwork in the 20th minute, when the lively McCabe saw his lob from the edge of the area bounce clear to safety off the crossbar.

Within a minute, McCabe’s free-kick was knocked into the path of Scott Agnew and his powerful 18-yard shot went inches over the bar.

McKenzie then deflected a Dylan Easton shot wide of his right post as the visitors maintained the pressure.

Our next attack was started by Milne, who crossed for Megginson to scoop a first time shot high over the Airdrie goal.

Milne, who was voted man-of-the-match by sponsors AG Sports Brand – broke forward again in in the 35th minute to hit a low shot that was held by Currie.

We began the second half strongly too.

There were only 28 seconds on the clock when Scott Ross fed the ball down the right to Blair Yule and his low cross only just evaded McAllister as it sped across the face of the Airdrie goal.

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Milne sent in yet another fine cross that led to Currie managing to save a Megginson shot with his legs.

We shook the Airdrie crossbar for a second time in the 52nd minute.

McAllister’s free-kick from the just outside the angle of the 18-yard box, on the left, had Currie beaten, but rebounded to safety off the face of the crossbar.

It was breathtaking stuff, with McKenzie called into action again on the hour, when he saved Agnew’s 20-yard free-kick.

Josh Kerr made a great last gasp clearance in the 62nd minute, to stop McAllister scoring from a brilliant Blair Yule cross.

Milne was a constant threat from his runs down the left and his next cross was going to Fyvie at the back post until Easton knocked the ball behind for a corner.

Airdrie equalised in the 73rd minute when McCabe played a pass through to SMITH and he gave McKenzie no chance with a powerful finish from 16-yards.

Within a minute, Megginson hit a 25-yard shot that was held by Currie.

Airdrie responded with Smith breaking clear to force McKenzie to make another decent save from his shot from inside the area.

The action was non-stop and McAllister was unlucky to see his shot from an Iain Vigurs cross deflected wide in the 77th minute.

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There were nervy moments at both ends in the latter stages, but it seemed appropriate that a game that had lived up to its match-of-the-day billing finished with the sides sharing the points.

COVE RANGERS: McKenzie, Neill, Milne, Scully, Ross, Yule, Megginson, McAllister (Fotheringham 81), Vigurs, Fyvie (Masson 81), Reynolds.

Subs: Strachan, McIntosh, Anderson, Adeyemo, Leitch, Gourlay.

AIRDRIEONIANS: Currie, Macdonald, Paterson, Kerr, McCabe, Fordyce, Frizzell, Easton, Agnew, Allan (Gallagher 59), Smith (McGill 75).

Subs: Cantley, Walker, Ritchie, McDonald, Watson.

Referee: Barry Cook.

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