Falkirk were unchanged whereas Airdrie made two changes.
The home side looked the most likely in the early stages of the game with the first chance falling to the Bairns when defender Craig McPherson swung a low cross along the face of the Airdrie goal, but no-one connected.
In the 18th minute Falkirk's John O'Neil dummied two Airdrie defenders, took the ball on his left foot and hammered a shot from 12 yards out, which Mark McGowan in the visitors' goal saved magnificently.
The visitors' first chance of the game came after 26 minutes when Willy McLaren's low driven shot hit the post from a Mark Roberts pass.
But it was the home side who opened the account in the 34th minute when John O'Neil on the left flank cut a ball back to Darryl Duffy, who side-footed into the goal from 12 yards out for his 19th goal of the season.
Falkirk had a penalty claim turned down when a cross into the box was clearly handled by Allan McManus, but to the dismay of all referee Steve Conroy awarded a foul and booked Falkirk attacker Daniel McBreen for dissent.
After the break the visitors piled on the pressure with Alan Gow coming close with an 18-yard dipping shot that was expertly tipped over the bar by man of the match Alan Ferguson.
Ferguson saved the day for the home side again when McLaren went on a run and beat off two defenders and shot low, but the home side held out for a well deserved victory.