But the real talking points surrounded referee Chris Boyle's card tricks as Airdrie's Brian McPhee and Stranraer's Michael Moore both saw red.
Airdrie were the first to show and home keeper Barry-John Corr had to look lively to tip David Dunn's 20-yard free-kick to safety.
Moore first caught the eye of the referee as he went down in the visitors' box in the 17th minute. The striker was looking for a penalty, but the whistler thought otherwise and showed him a yellow card.
In a first half of few chances, David Hamilton put Stranraer ahead with a thunderous volley in the 37th minute after Ian Ross cross was allowed to reach him at the back post.
There was little between the sides, but Airdrie's task suddenly looked all the more difficult when McPhee was shown a straight red card in the 66th minute. It was his punishment for a foul on Alex Keddie, but it seemed a trifle harsh.
But Mr Boyle was allowing no leeway and, two minutes later, Stranraer's Moore was shown his second yellow card, the referee having decided that he had been guilty of diving yet again.
Scoring chances were still at a premium and, even in their late push for an equaliser, Airdrie failed to breakdown a stubborn Stranraer rearguard.
With 10 minutes remaining Garry Twigg came closest to snatching a point for the visitors but his header flashed across the face of the home goal following Stephen McDougall's cross, and the home side hung on to record a valuable opening day win.