Hamilton Accies were forced to settle for a point as Ayr United fought back to draw at New Douglas Park.
Rangers' loanee Kai Kennedy got off the mark early on, on his first start for Accies, but Ayr sub Sam Ashford levelled 12 minutes into the second half.
There wasn't too much more to it than that, though Hamilton will be kicking themselves for not making more of their chances when they were on top in the first half - particularly with Ronan Hughes' penalty miss.
However, Ashford passed up a chance to win it, with 10 minutes left.
Hamilton dominated the first half and should have been further ahead at the interval, but didn't do enough with their chances.
Kennedy put them ahead early on and David Moyo could have had a hat-trick, had his timing been better, while Ronan Hughes sent a penalty crashing off the top of the bar.
At the other end, Sean McGinty put a good chance past the right post after Accies keeper Joe Hilton had fumbled a Daire O'Connor corner.
In the second half Accies invited their visitors on top of them and that had a predictable result in 67 minutes when sub Ashcroft drew Ayr level, and he had a chance to win it with 10 minutes left, after being sent through on goal.
Accies head coach Stuart Taylor made four changes from the side that lost to Dunfermline on January 15, with Kennedy, Kieran MacDonald, Josh Mullin and Moyo in for Matthew Shiels, Miko Virtanen, Andy Winter and Andy Ryan.
His Ayr counterpart Lee Bullen made three changes to the side that exited the Scottish Cup fourth round, at the hands of St Mirren last weekend. New signing Ben Dempsey, O'Connor and Tomi Adeloye came in for James Maxwell, Mark McKenzie and Michael Moffat.
Accies looked the brighter from the start and took the lead after just seven minutes when Kennedy latched onto Moyo's pass and drilled a low shot into the right corner.
Ayr nearly levelled in bizarre circumstances in 22 minutes when O'Connor's corner from the left was dropped by Hilton, with McGinty flashing the loose ball wide of the right post.
Hamilton should have doubled their lead in 30 minutes when Jamie Hamilton tore down the right and swung in a cross, but Moyo just failed to connect, when a touch would have done.
The hosts missed a penalty in 38 minutes when Ronan Hughes sent his effort crashing off the bar, after Mihai Popsecu had been fouled by McGinty.
Josh Mullin delivered a brilliant slicing cross from the right in 43 minutes, but again Moyo couldn't connect.
But Ayr levelled in 67 minutes when James Maxwell sent Ashcroft through on goal and he ripped a low shot into the right corner.
Accies felt they should have been given a second penalty in 76 minutes when Hamilton appeared to be pushed in the box as Mullin swung in a corner, but nothing was given.
Ayr had a great chance to take the lead in 80 minutes when Ashford was sent through on goal but he was crowded out.
HAMILTON: Hilton, Hamilton, Popescu, O'Reilly, MacDonald, Smith (Ryan, 67), Hughes (Brown, 87), Mimnaugh (Martin, 75), Mullin, Kennedy, Moyo.
Subs (not used): Fulton (GK), Virtanen, Easton, Winter, Munro, Lawson.
Booked: O'Reilly (69), Martin (81)
AYR UNITED: McAdams, Muirhead, Baird, McGinty, Houston, Gondoh (McKenzie, 59), Murdoch, Dempsey (Bryden, 85), Reading, O'Connor (Maxwell, 63), Adeloye (Ashford, 59).
Subs (not used): Albinson (GK), Fjortoft, Ecrepont, Smith, Moffat.
Booked: Murdoch (69), McGinty (81), Muirhead (90+3)
Referee: John Beaton.
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