Ayr United have been left with a play-off mountain to climb after a bruising night in Glasgow saw them picked apart by Partick Thistle.
Two goals from Brian Graham and another from Jack McMillan were a fair reflection of the Jags' dominance in a first leg in which Ayr struggled to cope with the hosts' attacking play down both flanks.
A night which began with the news that top scorer Dipo Akinyemi had failed to make the starting line-up due to a back injury sustained in training proved to get tougher from then on for The Honest Men. Mark McKenzie, goal hero of the win at Inverness, got the nod to lead the line and Ayr did make a bright start with Chris Maguire drawing a brilliant fingertip save from David Mitchell.
