A poor Cove Rangers performance saw them comfortably beaten 2-1 by Ayr United at the Balmoral Stadium.
Goals from Ben Dempsey and Dipo Akinyemi in the second half was scant reward for the visitors, who were in total control for much of the game.
Cove looked shaky at the back and struggled to keep hold of the ball, two of the hallmarks of their success last season. Had it not been for profligacy from the Ayr forwards, it could have been a much greater scoreline.
Only a stoppage-time penalty from Jamie Masson got Cove on the board.
Cove handed a debut to new signing Charlie Gilmour, with Jamie Masson dropping out at his expense.
The home side had lost their last two games on the road and did not start too cleverly back on home soil.
Sam Ashford thought he had given Ayr the lead when he headed Akineymi’s cross towards goal, but Kyle Gourlay was adjudged to have claimed the ball before it crossed the line.
Akinyemi was proving a handful for the Cove defence and rattled the crossbar from 20 yards with a well-hit effort on 13 minutes.
Dunne and Mark Reynolds got themselves into an almighty tangle that almost lead to an Ayr opener, with Mark McKenzie blasting over when he should have hit the target.
Ashford had a free header from a corner but connected tamely, as Cove looked far from secure in the game. Akinyemi had another chance before the break but he skewed Daire O’Connor’s cross over the bar.
Cove finally threatened in the closing stages of the half, with Robbie Leitch meeting Connor Scully’s cross on the volley but Dempsey recovered to clear off the line. Fraser Fyvie hooked the rebound wide.
After losing Scott Ross in the first half through injury, McIntyre was also forced to replace captain Mitch Megginson after he pulled up for the second time before the interval.
McKenzie was guilty of missing key opportunities again at the start of the second half, shooting straight at Gourlay from six yards and then rattling his second attempt wide of goal.
Ayr then had a penalty appeal waved away when Andy Murdoch’s shot struck the hand of Dunne.
They did get a spot-kick on 58 minutes though when Scott Lambie penalised Reynolds for blocking O’Connor’s cross with an arm. Dempsey rolled the ball home from 12 yards.
The Honest Men deservedly doubled their advantage 10 minutes later when Ashford’s ball was allowed to travel all the way to the far post and Akinyemi stuck out a foot to turn it past Gourlay.
Cove then lost Reynolds to injury to compound a poor day at the office, before Masson buried a penalty in the 90th minute after Jordan Houston fouled Gerry McDonagh.
COVE RANGERS (4-4-2) – Gourlay 6; Logan 6, Ross 5 (Neill 31), Reynolds 5 (Masson 75), Dunne 5, Leitch 6 (McIntosh 67) Gilmour 5, Vigurs 5 (Longstaff 67), Scully 6, Fyvie 5, Megginson 5 (McDonagh 46). Subs not used – McKenzie, Thomas.
AYR UNITED (4-2-3-1) – Albinson 6; Houston 6, Kirk 6, Musonda 6, Reading 6, Dempsey 7, Murdoch 6, O’Connor 7 (Ecrepont 88) McKenzie 7 (McGinty 90), Ashford 7 (Bangala 87), Akinyemi 7. Subs not used – Smith, Moffat, McAllister, McConnell, Hewitt, Bilham.
Referee – Scott Lambie 6
Attendance – 951
Man of the match – Daire O’Connor