St Mirren will face Kelty Hearts in the Fifth Round of the Scottish Cup after a routine win over Ayr United at Somerset Park.
Kyle McAllister and Greg Kiltie scored first-half goals to secure Saints' place in the next round to face a Kelty side that defeated last season's Scottish Cup winners St Johnstone.
Despite a bright start from the hosts that saw James Maxwell drag wide with only 30 seconds on the clock, it was Jim Goodwin's side who took the lead. McAllister headed home after being met by at the back stick by Scott Tanser.
Saints took a grip on the match and we were well on top in the opening exchanges as they searched for a second. It nearly came on 17 minutes when skipper Joe Shaughnessy got on the end of a dangerous Kiltie ball across the face of the box, but the home side managed to scramble clear for a corner. A minute later Connor Ronan was a whisker away from making it two with a half-volley from range.
The Buddies would double their lead on 24 minutes when Kiltie netted his first goal for the Saints. The midfielder - who was unlucky to see one disallowed in Tuesday's win against Dundee United - raced on to a lovely pass from Jay Henderson and made his way into the box before slotting beyond Aidan McAdams.
Greg Kiltie slotted home his first goal for the Saints to put us 2-0 up (Image: Allan Picken)
A dominant first-half performance saw us go into the break 2-0 ahead and the second-half was similar stuff as Goodwin's men looked to stretch their lead. McAdams made two good stops in the space of four minutes just after the hour mark to deny Ronan and Kiltie.
Those two opportunities were the first of four in a 10 minute spell of relentless Saints pressure. Shaughnessy should have scored when he was found unmarked in the box by Henderson, but bulleted the header over from close-range and then, in his final act of the game before being substituted, Kiltie drove a strike inches by the far post from an angle.
Ayr United introduced Fraser Bryden and Tomi Adeloye as they looked to find a way back into the match but couldn't muster up anything to worry the Buddies who will face League Two league leaders Kelty Hearts in the Fifth Round.
Full-Time: Ayr United 0-2 St Mirren
St Mirren: Alnwick, Fraser, Shaughnessy (c), Dunne, Tanser, Henderson, Ronan, Erhahon (Flynn 54), Kiltie (Power 68), McAllister, Dennis (Greive 62)
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Tait, Millar, Reid, Erwin, Brophy
Ayr United: McAdams, Muirhead, McGinty (c), Baird, Houston, Murdoch, Maxwell (O'Connor 46), Reading, Gondoh (Bryden 72), McKenzie, Moffat (Adeloye 72)
Subs Not Used: Albinson, Ecrepont, Fjortoft, McAllister, Chalmers, Afolabi
Referee: David Dickinson
Assistant Referee: David Doig
Assistant Referee: Jonathan Bell
