There was no Christmas cheer for beleaguered Airdrie player boss Rhys McCabe as they fell to yet another Championship defeat.
McCabe, who made his first outing since a 6-1 hammering by Dundee in the League Cup back in August, saw his side go down 2-0 at home to Partick Thistle and while admitting the Jags defended well, he felt his side should have made much more of their opportunites when they came along.
Rock-bottom Diamonds lost for the 14th time in 18 games this season, as first-half strikes from Brian Graham and Dan O’Reilly as half-time approached did the damage, leaving them nine points adrift of Dunfermline at the foot of the Championship.
McCabe said: “We were wasteful in the forward areas and if you don’t take your chances and work the top end of the pitch you are never going to win games of football.
“We are bitterly disappointed with the result. The goals were avoidable. We were on the heels for the first one, it was a catalogue of errors.
“At the second, I got the contact on the ball and I’m expecting my keeper to come and take everyone in his sight, but it was an easy header.
“We were chasing our tails a little bit after that. It is difficult, especially when you are low in confidence, to break down a defence, but we should still be doing a hell of a lot better.”
Airdrie captain Adam Frizzell went close to giving the Diamonds the lead in 37 minutes when his deflected effort forced Myles Roberts to find a top stop to tip the ball over the bar.
But just 60 seconds later, the Jags went in front when Graham got on the end of Logan Chalmers’ cross.
Still reeling from that, Airdrie fell further behind with 43 minutes on the clock when O’Reilly headed home when the hosts failed to clear their lines from a corner.
On the hour mark McCabe played in Lewis McGregor for a chance but Roberts was out well to block, while he would later deny the Diamonds again with a good save from Gavin Gallagher’s strike.
McCabe added: “The enthusiasm was there but it was just a case of moments of quality going forward [not happening]. It is testament to Partick’s defence that we couldn’t quite break them down, but we certainly had moments and opportunities that we should be doing a bit better with.
“It is small basic errors that are costing us.”
Airdrie must now lift themselves for a Lanarkshire derby with Hamilton Accies on Saturday, December 28 at New Douglas Park.