Scorers: Stranraer – Dolan (Pen 40) and Traynor (57); Ayr United – Summers (49) and Taylor (60 and Pen 79)
Stranraer twice held the lead before eventually going down to defeat against Championship side Ayr United.
The Blues were in front at half time thanks to James Dolan’s penalty but saw their opposition level just four minutes after the restart through Ben Summers.
Archie Traynor grabbed a debut goal to restore Stranraer’s advantage but a Ross Taylor double, including one from the penalty spot, proved decisive.
The home side handed full debuts to five players, with four more new faces on the bench.
However, it was the visitors who created the better chances in the first half, with the woodwork twice coming to Stranraer’s rescue.
First, Summers rose highest to meet a Taylor cross but could only direct his header onto the crossbar.
Finn Ecrepont was in the right place to keep out Kieran Shanks on the follow up and Stranraer would have the frame of the goal to thank once again for keeping the scores level.
This time, Luke McBeth could only glance a header onto the post with the home defence beaten.
The opener would come at the other end of the pitch as Ronan Hughes tumbled under pressure from Shaun Want.
Dolan calmly beat Harry Stone from the penalty spot and Stranraer had an unlikely lead.
The visitors continued to be on the front foot early in the second half.
Reece Lyon found space out wide and he picked out Summers, who had plenty of time to roll the ball home.
Stranraer would get back in front after capitalising on defensive slackness from Ayr.
Kevin Holt failed to deal with Dolan’s cross and then Want’s attempted clearance struck Lewis Dobbie.
Midfielder Aaron Quigg played the ball into the path of Traynor and he fired across Stone to restore the lead.
Unfortunately, that advantage lasted just three minutes.
Taylor raced onto a Shanks ball through the defence and he produced a composed finish beyond Max Currie.
Then, with little over 10 minutes left, Taylor was involved again.
He took a tumble under an Evan Dunne challenge before picking himself up to score the second penalty of the day.
Stranraer: Currie, Ecrepont (Coll 58), Nair (McLuckie 74), Dunne, Cameron, Bruce, Traynor (Healy 58), Hughes (Gillie 74), Quigg, Dolan (Cleland 74), Dobbie.
Not used: Lynch and Henderson.
Ayr United: Stone, McMann (Dick 46), Holt, Want (Hislop 87), McAllister, McBeth, Lyon, Taylor (Watret 87), Summers, McKenzie (Mitchell 80), Shanks (Stirton 71).
Not used: Douglas, Warbrick and Russell.
Referee: Iain Snedden
Attendance: 866
HT: 1-0
Photos: Bill McCandlish