Ten-man Cove Rangers were knocked out of the Scottish Cup following a 3-0 defeat to Ayr United at the Balmoral Stadium.
Goals from Mark McKenzie, Dipo Akinyemi and Sam Bangala put the Honest Men through to the last 16, with Cove having Mitch Megginson sent off in the second half.
Ayr will face League Two side Elgin City at Somerset Park on February 11.
Cove made four changes from the side that lost 5-0 against the same opponents on Friday. Morgyn Neill dropped out, Blair Yule has suffered a recurrence of an ankle problem, while Jason Naismith and Tony Weston were cup-tied.
Another signing Miko Virtanen was not registered for the initial tie – before it was postponed – so could not feature, so rare starts were handed to Scott Ross and Iain Vigurs.
The home side started the brightest and they needed to, after their disastrous run of recent results. Megginson’s attempted acrobatic effort turned the ball into the path of Cieran Dunne, who skewed a shot across the face of goal.
Dunne has shown promise this season in the brief opportunities afforded to him and again teased the opposing defences with some appealing crosses into the box.
Mark Reynolds had a half-hearted appeal for a penalty turned down as Paul Hartley relentlessly coaxed his side on from the touchline.
But they were to fall behind on 23 minutes, with Cove feeling a handball was missed by referee Steven Kirkland in the build-up.
Akinyemi bundled his way past Scott Ross, perhaps with the aid of an arm, and eventually fed the ball to Mark McKenzie. Brody Paterson threw himself in the way of the shot, but could only deflect it past Scott Fox.
It was the last thing a confidence-shy Cove needed, but Ayr were not threatening with as much regularity as they were on Friday night -when they won 5-0 on Championship duty at the same venue.
By the same token, Cove were not forcing goalkeeper Aidan McAdams into any meaningful action.
A high, hopeful ball into the box from Vigurs was headed well over by Leighton McIntosh on the stroke of half-time.
Ayr had the first sight of goal in the second half, with Ashford getting in behind Paterson and forcing a low stop out of Fox.
Cove’s plight was hardly helped with the dismissal of skipper Megginson just before the hour.
Following a series of hefty challenges from both sides, in which Kirkland eventually blew for a foul from Kyle McClelland, Megginson was booked twice in the space of about 15 seconds for repeated dissent.
Ultimately Cove were punished for being a man down, with a swift breakaway putting Ben Dempsey clear and he clipped the ball across goal for an unmarked Akinyemi to tap in.
Connor Scully was pushed into a more advanced role in Megginson’s absence and saw a deflected shot creep past the post, but there was more damage to be done at the opposite end.
With gaps appearing in the Cove defence, Ashford was picked out by substitute Fraser Bryden and rifled the ball under Fox.
Ref Kirkland appeared determined to make himself the star of the show, though, booking six Cove players and three for Ayr in a game he never got control of.
The Aberdeen side, with 22 goals conceded in their last five games, will head to Firhill on Saturday on Championship duty – and in real need of a change in fortunes.
COVE RANGERS (4-3-3) – Fox 6; Logan 6, Ross 5, Reynolds 6, Paterson 5 (Longstaff 75), McClelland 5, Vigurs 7 (Glass 85), Scully 6, McIntosh 6, Megginson 5, Dunne 6. Subs not used – Gourlay, Neill.
AYR UNITED (4-4-2) – McAdams 6; McAllister 5 (Reading 32 (Bilham 85)), Kirk 6, McGinty 6, Houston 6, Ashford 6 (Watret 85), Bangala 6, Dempsey 6 (Smith 76), O’Connor 7, McKenzie 7, Akinyemi 7 (Bryden 76). Subs not used – Albinson, Mullin, Mitchell-Lawson.
Referee – Steven Kirkland 5.
Attendance – 433.
Man of the match – Dipo Akinyemi.
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