AYR United put in a gutsy display as they travelled to Ibrox looking to cause an almighty shock in the Scottish Cup fifth round against Rangers.

Though despite frustrating the home side for large spells, it wasn't to be for The Honest Men who fell to a 2-0 defeat in front of 50,000 fans - including a strong 1,700 away fans - in Glasgow.

Ayr got the match underway, and signs looked ominous in the early stages when with little over a minute on the clock Oscar Cortes cut in and struck the post on his first Ibrox start.

The live-wire Columbian proved to be a thorn in the side of Scott Brown’s side all evening and fired the first shot on target of the match only five minutes later.

So, it was no surprise when the winger was involved in the opening goal of the match on ten minutes.

The Lens loanee cut in from the touchline, cutting the ball back at the second time of asking to full back Borna Barisic who saw his strike from 12-yards deflected into the back of Robbie Mutch’s goal via the unfortunate Roy Syla.

Ayr offered little going forward in the opening stages, though as the game grew, so too did the confidence of The Honest Men who looked happy to play their game in front of the Ibrox crowd.

They began to threaten the home side’s goal and were handed an opportunity on the counterattack when Anton Dowds was slipped through on 20 minutes with only Connor Goldson standing between him and Jack Butland.

Though the Rangers defender stood his ground well and stifled out the danger.

The game proved quiet in the latter stages of the first 45, but again it was Cortes who looked the most likely from either side to make the difference as he fired another shot only inches wide after driving along the left touchline.

Scott Brown only made two changes for the match, and his decision to opt with Robbie Mutch in goals certainly seemed justified only a minute before half-time when the stopper pulled off an outstanding reaction save from a deflected strike from within the 18-yard box ensuring the away side went in at the break only a goal down.

Ayr started the second half with attacking intent, winning a corner in the early stages after some fine running from Jamie Murphy.

The set piece saw the ball swung to Ben Dempsey at the edge of the 18-yard box though the midfielder’s volley went well wide despite little pressure from the defence.

United were beginning to frustrate the Ibrox crowd who only had a booking for visiting manager Scott Brown to cheer about as the game ticked over to the hour mark.

Though as the game reached that 60-minute mark suddenly it was backs to the wall for Ayr who were forced into a pair of goal-line clearances from acrobatic efforts before Rangers made a triple substitution, including the withdrawal of the ever-threatening Cortes.

Scott Brown then made a pair of changes of his own, bringing off the usually quiet Logan Chalmers alongside Nick McAllister – replaced by youth academy pair Fraser Bryden and Scott Tomlinson.

Though it was the Ranger's bench who made the difference when after a spell on top with little in the way of clear-cut chances, the home side eventually put the game to bed on 76 minutes after some fine work from substitute Todd Cantwell.

The playmaker worked an opening well on the corner of the penalty box, chipping the ball into the back post, seemingly heading into the back of the net.

Somehow the United defence kept the effort out, only for the ball to fall to Fabio Silva, who smashed home the second goal of the match  – after a brief VAR check for a handball in the aftermath of the initial cross.

Scott Brown then turned to his bench to bring on Kurt Willoughby for Mark McKenzie and Max Guthrie for Jamie Murphy as The Honest Men looked to find some sort of hope in the remaining minutes.

Though unfortunately for the visitors, it wasn't to be, with Phillippe Clement's side seeing out the game with relative ease and progressing to the quarter-finals of the competition after a 2-0 win against the Championship side.