Airdrie cruised into the Championship play-off final after an emphatic aggregate victory over Scottish Cup semi-finalists Falkirk set up a Lanarkshire derby with Hamilton Accies.
The Diamonds, who held a commanding 6-2 first leg advantage after battering the Bairns at New Broomfield on Tuesday night, produced a professional performance to edge them out on home turf, courtesy of Gabby McGill's first half strike.
And they will now hope it is third time lucky in a play-off final after heartbreaking final defeats to Queen's Park and Morton in the last two campaigns.
Rhys McCabe's men will face John Rankin's Accies after the Championship side, incredibly, came from 3-0 down on aggregate to beat 10-man Alloa Athletic 5-3 in the other tie.
Airdrie will now host Accies on Wednesday night, followed by the second leg at New Douglas Park on Saturday, May 20.
The Diamonds made an enforced change with goalkeeper Josh Rae missing out due to suspension after his first leg red card. Emergency loan signing from Kelty Hearts, Darren Jamieson, came in, while midweek scorer Aaron Taylor Sinclair dropped to the bench and Dean McMaster started.
Holding their big advantage from the first leg, the visitors were always likely to sit back and let the visitors come at them, and John McGlynn's men came out with purpose early on in the hope of a miracle.
The Bairns worked a good opening inside the second minute when Finn Yeats created space for a shot inside the box, but his weak effort brought a comfortable stop and earlier settler for Jamieson in the Diamonds' goal.
Ten minutes in Callumn Morrison's low drive on the angle forced Jamieson to turn his effort round the post and that helped rouse the home support.
They kept coming and when Kai Kennedy crossed in the 25th minute, the ball fell nicely for Morrsion on the volley but his thumping effort sailed over the bar.
In the 33rd minute Falkirk - who were 4-0 down at this stage of the first leg tie - kept plugging away and Rumarn Burrell tried to curl a strike into the top corner from 25 yards to try and spark the game into life, but Jamieson was equal to it.
Down the other end Calum Gallagher got Airdrie's first real sight of goal in the game and saw his looping half volley land wide of PJ Morrison's right-hand post.
Airdrie had a glorious chance to take the lead on the afternoon after 38 minutes when a great through ball from McGill played in Justin Devenny. The youngster cut back, leaving his marker in his wake on the deck, but after showing great composure in that situation he couldn't get the ball out of his feet quick enough to curl the ball home, and the Bairns cleared the danger.
However, they weren't to be denied their goal and four minutes later Airdrie killed the tie with the day's opener. A long throw-in from the right from McCabe wasn't dealt with by the Falkirk defence and McGill was on hand to poke the ball home from all of eight yards.
That sparked jubilant scenes in the away end, with the Diamonds fans knowing they could fully enjoy their day in the Falkirk sunshine.
The hosts might have silenced the visiting supporters somewhat had Liam Henderson been able to nod home a free header in the box and Coll Donaldson found the net with a volley from six yards, but both missed in quick succession just before the break when they really should have scored.
Progress may well have been in the bag by the time the second half kicked off, but Jamieson was determined to keep a clean sheet and produced a fine save to tip Sean Mackie's volley over the bar on the hour mark.
Airdrie soon rang the changes with a flurry of substitutes, although one was enforced with McGill coming off injured after failing to shake off a knock. He joined McMaster, Devenny and Gallagher in making way as Lewis McGregor, Charlie Telfer, Ben Stanway and Salim Kouider-Aissa all came on to bring some freshness and rest bodies for next week.
Things were so comfortable for Airdrie, in fact, fans started mockingly cheering Falkirk passes to keep themselves entertained as the game petered out with no further goals.
FALKIRK: Morrsion, Mackie, Donaldson, McKay, Yeats, Henderson (McGinn 72), Oliver (Wright 59), Kucheriavyi (Nesbitt 71), Burrell (Lawal 58), Morrison, Kennedy.
Scorers:
Bookings:
Subs not used: Kinnera, McGuffie, McCann, Watson.
AIRDRIE: Jamieson, Watson, Ballantyne, Fordyce, McCabe, McMaster (Telfer 66), Devenny (Kouider-Aissa 67), Frizzell, McGill (McGregor 58), Gallagher (Stanway 67), Smith (Deveney 85).
Scorers: McGill 42
Bookings: Kouider-Aissa
Subs not used: Hutton, Taylor-Sinclair, Byrd, Fellows.
HT: 0-1
Att: 4,080
Ref: Euan Anderson
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