Oli Shaw struck in stoppage time to earn a dramatic derby day win for Hamilton Accies over Airdrie.
The game looked set to be heading for a 2-2 draw after Shaw’s opener and Stuart McKinstry’s first goal for Accies did the damage for the hosts, who were twice pegged back quickly by Chris Mochrie and Gavin Gallagher in a pulsating first-half.
However, when Reghan Tumilty cut the ball back to Shaw in second-half stoppage-time, the league’s top scorer took his Championship tally to 10 and 14 for the season with a neat finish inside the six yard box.
The win puts Hamilton up to seveth in the table, while rock bottom Diamonds – who are now 18 games without a win – are 10 points adrift of nearest rivals Dunfermline heading into 2025.
Accies made one change from last week’s narrow defeat to Falkirk, as injured Kyle MacDonald was replaced by Jamie Barjonas.
The Diamonds made four alterations from their changes as MacDonald, Hancock, Wilson and Gallagher come in. Watson, Duffy, McGregor and Armstrong drop out.
In three minutes Shaw had a glorious chance to give the hosts the lead when he stole possession from Sam Graham 25-yards from goal, but the league’s top scorer fluffed his attempt to chip Kieran Wright, skewing the ball wide of the target.
Moments later, the Diamonds had a promising free-kick right on the edge of the Hamilton penalty area. McCabe stepped up to take it and curled his effort inches wide of the post, to the sighs of relief from the home support.
A breathless pace to the early exchanges continued as McCabe produced a fine block in the six-yard box to clear Steven Bradley’s goal bound strike, while up the other end an acrobatic effort from Adam Frizzell was hooked just over the bar from a Mason Hancock cross.
And in 14 minutes the deadlock was broken. A flowing move saw Barjonas dinked the ball over the top for McKinstry to send a low cross into the path of Shaw, and he made no mistakes from close range to slot into the the net for his 13th goal in all competitions.
Hamilton’s lead only lasted five minutes as a free-kick on the right was swung in by Frizzell. His delivery took a nick on its way to the back post, where Mochrie nodded the ball into the far corner for the equaliser.
Seven minutes before the break, the hosts got themselves back in front with another fine move. Shaw slid a pass down the right wing for Connor Smith and he spotted McKinstry unmarked at the back post, allowing the winger to hammer the ball into the roof of the net.
It looked like Hamilton would hold a half-time lead but Gavin Gallagher had other ideas, taking Ben Wilson’s pass and rifling home a low strike from 25-yards in stoppage time, and the sides went in level at the break.
Airdrie started the second half brightly and a vital block was required to deny Gallagher adding to his tally with a fierce strike inside the box just two minutes after the restart. Seconds later, Mochrie had two bites at a strike in the six-yard box, but couldn’t find a way through.
It was a wake-up call for the hosts and in 53 minutes Shaw came close to adding to his tally when he latched onto a through ball and kept his feet well on the slippery surface, only to see a curling strike blocked in the six-yard box.
Accies introduced former Diamond Nikolay Todorov to the fold for the final 20 minutes in the search of a winner.
Scott Martin saw a deflected strike fixx narrowly wide before Sean McGinty poked an effort over the top at a corner.
Eleven minutes from time a big chance fell to Euan Henderson in the penalty box, but groans sounded all around New Douglas Park as his fresh-air swipe let the Diamonds off the hook.
Accies almost won it in 89 minutes when Todorov headed down for Connor Smith, but Kieran Wright came up with a huge save to turn away his strike in the box.
With the clock ticking down, Kevin O’Hara fed Tumilty and his cut back was swept home by Shaw to send New Douglas Park wild.
O’Hara should have added some gloss but blazed over a sitter and then fired wide with the last kick of the ball.
Accies now travel to Cappielow on January 4 to first foot Morton, while Airdrie welcome league leaders Falkirk on Friday night.
HAMILTON: Albinson, Tumilty, McGinty, Hendrie, Maguire, Barjonas (O’Hara 61), Bradley (Todorov 70), McKinstry (Henderson 61), Martin, Smith, Shaw.
Scorers: Shaw 14, McKinstry 38
Bookings: Martin
Subs not used: Lyness, Longridge, Williamson, O’Connor, Morgan, Syme.
AIRDRIE: Wright, MacDonald (Watson 77), Hancock, McCabe, Graham, McMaster, Gallagher (Aiken 57), McGrattan, Frizzell, Mochrie (McGregor 73), Wilson.
Scorers: Mochrie 19, Gallagher 45
Bookings: McMaster
Subs not used: Johnson, Duffy, Agyemang, Armstrong, Williams, Cooper.
HT: 2-2
Ref: Don Robertson