The game started brightly with chances at either end in the opening five minutes, with Airdrie's Paul Lovering seeing his volley brilliantly parried out by David McEwan, and at the other end the visitors' Colin Cramb was denied by Mark McGeown.
For long spells in the remainder of the first half there was little to write home about but the last ten minutes provide thrills and spills. Firstly Marcel Mahouve bent a shot just wide of the post with McGeown stranded.
Tempers started to fray and both sides had a player yellow carded as ref Dallas tried to take the sting out of the game.
Airdrie had two good chances in the closing stages with a deflected Stephen McKewon effort saved, and a Jerome Vareille drive that the keeper trapped between his legs.
The visitors started the second half with two fine efforts from Cramb, one that saw McGeown save well as the striker tried to take the ball round him.
The game developed into a midfield struggle with little goalmouth action of note.
That was until ten minutes to go when Accies had a great chance to take the lead, but Mark Corcoran couldn't make up ground to get on the end of Brian McPhee's cross across the six-yard line.
As the game looked to be heading for a goalless draw Mark Roberts slid a perfect ball through for Gow and the striker rounded the keeper to slot home from an acute angle to wrap up the points for the home side.