Rovers missed the chance to close the gap on league leaders Dundee United, who they trail by four points with four games to play, while Airdrie tightened their grip on fourth place.
Airdrie took the lead in the 26th minute when Frizzell smashed into the top corner with the outside of his boot.
The captain was on the scoresheet again just four minutes later after picking up the ball up from Gabby McGill and firing home into the bottom corner.
Rovers pulled one back in the 68th minute when Josh Mullin found the bottom corner from outside of the box, but Lewis McGregor prevented any potential comeback with a top-corner finish in the 80th minute.
The 27-year-old opened the scoring when he headed home Cameron Blues’ cross from close range in the 35th minute.
His second came after the break, when he raced down the left flank before rifling a right-footed effort past Robbie Mutch.
Muirhead capped off an inspired afternoon with a third from the edge of the penalty area, firing home a left-footed finish into the bottom-right corner.
The result created some breathing room between the winners and their opponents, who entered the contest level on 19 points.
Ruari Paton’s fine strike and Dom Thomas’ deflected effort gave them victory, despite Ben Summers pulling a goal back late on, to move level on points with fellow strugglers Arbroath.
Paton thought he had opened the scoring in the first half only for his effort to be disallowed for offside against Cameron Bruce in the build up, although replays showed he was clearly onside.
The striker did net after 55 minutes when he drilled in low from the edge of the box and Thomas’ strike doubled the lead with 11 minutes left, only for Summers to make it a nervy finish.
The Spiders took the lead after only four minutes as Cillian Sheridan laid off the ball for Ruari Paton to finish into an empty net. Provider turned scorer on the 15-minute mark as Sheridan slotted in a Josh Scott cross for 2-0.
Sheridan snuck in behind the Arbroath defence and found Paton for an easy third and Queen’s Park continued to pummel the Smokies after half-time as Dom Thomas ran through to slot past Max Boruc.
By the 62nd minute it was 5-0 thanks to teenager Liam McLeish, who forced the goalkeeper into a mistake before walking the ball into an empty net, while substitute Stuart McKinstry completed the rout with a sixth five minutes from the end.
It was a 10th game without a win for Arbroath, who are now seven points adrift at the bottom of the table.
Sam Stanton and Dylan Easton goals secured a 2-0 win at Stark’s Park as Raith got their promotion bid back on track following their painful 3-2 defeat to Arbroath last time out, where Rovers surrendered a 2-0 lead.
Raith, who remain four points behind cinch Championship leaders Dundee United but boast a game in hand, took the lead in the 38th minute when Stanton – with his fourth derby goal of the season – headed home the rebound after Deniz Mehmet had parried Lewis Vaughan’s free-kick.
Home goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski prevented Ewan Otoo from levelling at the start of the second half and Raith wrapped up the points with 12 minutes to go when Easton fired into the bottom corner following a quick free-kick.
Callum Smith had the chance to add a third deep into stoppage time after Stanton was brought down inside the area, but Mehmet saved the former Pars striker’s penalty.
A dull game was heading for a goalless draw, but midfielder Stanton fired into the bottom right-hand corner three minutes into stoppage time to seal the points just as he did at East End Park two months ago.
After a poor first half, Rovers were grateful to Polish goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski who pulled off a double save to deny Owen Moffat and then Aaron Comrie after the break.
Raith applied the pressure after that scare as the lively Lewis Vaughan tested Deniz Mehmet with a long-range strike, but Stanton struck late on to keep the pressure on cinch Championship leaders Dundee United.
The Honest Men, who beat Arbroath 2-0 on Tuesday for their first league win in six games, were ahead at half-time thanks to Jamie Murphy’s 40th-minute free-kick.
Queen’s Park equalised after 63 minutes when Ruari Paton headed home Dom Thomas’ cross.
The hosts were reduced to 10 men moments later, though, when Sean Welsh was shown a second yellow card.
Ayr United made them pay in the 74th minute as Fraser Bryden lifted the ball over the defence for Mark McKenzie to nod in the winner.
Irish defender McGinty anticipated a flick-on from a free-kick out wide and nodded home what proved to be the decisive goal five minutes after the interval.
Josh O’Connor had given Airdrie a half-time lead after racing clear of Ayr’s defence to smash an emphatic finish beyond goalkeeper Josh Clarke.
Ayr equalised two minutes after the restart when Anton Dowds darted on to Craig Watson’s weak headed back-pass to finish in style before McGinty headed in the home side’s second.
Airdrie’s Dean McMaster saw a spectacular volley brilliantly saved by Clarke in the first period, while Ayr’s appeals for a second-half penalty after Jamie Murphy went down in the box were waved away.
Rovers looked to be cruising after goals from Zak Rudden – a stunning finish with the outside of his boot from 20 yards – and Josh Mullin put them 2-0 up.
But substitute Jay Bird pulled one back for Arbroath just after the hour with a fine turn and shot.
Arbroath drew level when Kevin Dabrowski misjudged a high ball and Leighton McIntosh nipped in to score.
The hosts then won it when Mark Stowe collected Connor Teale’s miscued shot and slotted home with 13 minutes remaining.
Arbroath started the better, with Michael McKenna converting a 20th-minute penalty given for handball to give the Lichties the upper hand.
Both sides had chances come their way, but neither managed to turn them to anything before the break.
It was Arbroath who struck again next, doubling their advantage in the 73rd minute through an own goal from Iain Wilson.
Two then became three as Arbroath managed to deliver a final blow to Morton in the third minute of injury time through Joao Balde who kept his composure.
The visitors needed just 43 seconds to break the deadlock when Ruari Paton’s cutback was converted by Jack Thomson on the edge of the box.
Watt equalised from close range eight minutes before half-time and the Tangerines went in front 11 minutes after the interval through Scott McMann, who smashed home a flick-on at the back post.
Watt grabbed his second shortly after with another close-range finish and Kai Fotheringham headed in a fourth to condemn Queen’s Park to a fifth consecutive defeat.
