Elgin City were comfortably beaten at Borough Briggs as Ayr United cruised into the third round of the Scottish Cup 4-0.
The Championship side had put four past Elgin before half-time, with Joe Chalmers, Michael Moffat and Luke McCowan (two) all on the scoresheet.
The second half was a more even affair but the damage had already been done for the League Two side.
Ayr started purposefully, with a deep cross from Tom Walsh coming back off the crossbar, and it took just three more minutes for the visitors to take the lead.
The ball was rolled back to Chalmers just outside the box by Moffat and the former Caley Thistle and Ross County midfielder deftly clipped the ball over Thomas McHale.
The lead was doubled on 18 minutes with Walsh again involved. The winger saw his shot beaten away at the near post by McHale but it fell straight to Moffat, who slid the ball back across goal into the far corner.
David Hopkin’s side finished the tie as a contest six minutes later, with Rory McEwan caught in possession just outside his own penalty and the ball breaking to McCowan, who rapped it beyond McHale.
⚽️ GOAL AYR! | Ayr's press high up the pitch sees Elgin give the ball away and Luke McCowan find the back of the net.
ELG 0-3 AYR pic.twitter.com/0sm0ZMXva3
— Ayr United (@AyrUnitedFC) March 23, 2021
Elgin’s first-half forays forward were brief and restricted to a couple of threatening crosses into the box, with Archie MacPhee seeing one cleared off the line by Chalmers.
The fourth goal came before the break and it was again with some ease, this time Cammy Smith teeing up an unmarked McCowan to tap in at the back post.
Price brought on Darryl McHardy and Aiden Sopel at half-time for MacPhee and Angus Mailer, with Elgin looking to regain some respectability in the tie.
They were grateful for a flying block from Stephen Bronsky, however, after McHale was caught out of his goal and Smith took aim from 25 yards. The Elgin defender flung himself in the way to prevent a fifth.
McHale was required to keep out further efforts from Walsh and McCowan, while Ayr stopper Viljami Sinisalo was finally called into action with 17 minutes to go as he clung on to a Josh Peters strike at the second attempt.
Smart Osadolor also saw a near-post effort kept out and Bronsky headed over at the back post, but Elgin were unable to grab a consolation.