Once again Stranraer conceded early goals. Indeed Chris Strain had Ayr in front after only three minutes. With the home defence backing off, he kept running and sent in a shot which was parried away by keeper Scott Black. But the Ayr midfielder raced onto the clearance barely a yard from the byeline and returned the ball into Stranraer's goal from a most acute angle.
Seven minutes later Jerome Vareille was the architect of a move which was ended in wonderful fashion by Ryan Stevenson. The Frenchman shrugged off the attentions of three home midfielders before passing the ball to Chris Robertson. When Robertson's short pass found Stevenson the Ayr midfielder stepped past Willie Lyle and unleashed a fine shot which hit the back of the home net at the opposite end of the goal.
In the twentieth minute Vareille got the reward which his play merited when he beat Black with a 25 yard shot which crept home at the post.
Stranraer, who have now conceded nine goals in three matches, looked dead and buried. However, they did pull a goal back out of nowhere on the hour. Alex Burns sent a ball out to the left and after Paul McMullan first-timed the ball it grazed the head of a visiting defender and flew over Mark McGeown into the Ayr net.
The home side's appalling disciplinary record took another knock when substitute Dougie Ramsay was shown a straight red card for his 80th minute foul on Gareth Wardlaw. That particular decision might have been a touch tough on the Blues, but they could have no complaints about the outcome of the match. It was one which Ayr thoroughly deserved to win.