Lee Bullen insists he had pride in defeat after Ayr fell just short in their comeback bid at Dens Park.
United gave themselves a mountain to climb after falling two goals behind to Dundee just after half time.
But Josh Mullin's strike gave the Honest Men hope, before they almost rescued a point at the death.
And Bullen believes the character his side showed gives him plenty of optimism for the season ahead.
He said: "Both goals we lost were obviously slack from our point of view, and particularly at the start of the second half it was a killer in terms of timing.
"The game could have run away from us at that point if we've got weaker characters.
"But what I've got is a squad of players who will roll their sleeves up and give everything for the Ayr United badge.
"They gave it everything and got the goal back and kept going right to the end to come off the pitch with a lot of credit.
"Sometimes there's games you lose and the players deserve a mouthful. Other times they've given absolutely everything and there's a little bit of me that's proud of the players today.
"They could have gone under against a team that will be up there challenging - as we will by the way - but we fought and dug in and we've come off nursing cuts, bumps and bruises having given it our all.
"It's that level of effort that will bring us success over the course of the season.
"It says everything about the progress that we're making to come away from a place like this and feel disappointed.
"It's a sore one but we move on and get ready for Cove next week."
Bullen had stuck with the same XI which routed Queen's Park after Andy Murdoch failed to recover in time from his knee knock and wasn't risked.
But it was the Dark Blues who always looked likelier during a first half in which Ayr had to soak up plenty of direct play.
Jordan Marshall fired just wide from distance while Logan Chalmers had a shot deflected just over for Ayr.
But the hosts took the lead out of nothing after the half hour when Jordan Houston lost possession on halfway and the ball found Paul McMullan who drove forward to fire home a stunner from 35 yards.
And Ayr gifted another goal just after half time when Houston was robbed again, allowing Dundee to pounce with interval sub Zak Robinson applying the finish.
But Ayr gave themselves hope when Mullin knocked home from six yards after good work from Dipo Akinyemi down the left.
And they could have grabbed a point at the death when Mullin's corner was fired just over on the volley by sub Daire O'Connor.
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