Control of South Ayrshire Council remains up for grabs tonight following an election which failed to produce an overall majority.
Status quo at County Buildings was trading at odds-on favourite after a result which saw the SNP return nine councillors and Labour another five.
Both parties are in poll position to strike a deal with independent councillors that would see them regain control of the county.
It means Conservatives face the prospect of a second term in opposition despite returning the largest number of councillors.
Headline result of the day saw Ayrshire Post columnist, Bob Shields, stroll to success in Ayr West.
The independent candidate eased through at stage one of the process – almost topping the vote in his ward.
Fellow independent Hugh Hunter, who was axed by the Tories from their election team earlier this year, came back to haunt his old colleagues with a thumping win in Prestwick.
The ward also delivered a big win for Labour's Cameron Ramsay, who at 19 becomes South Ayrshire's youngest-ever councillor.
A total of nine new faces will make up the latest intake of councillors, but the overall battle for power looks like remaining along similar lines.
ELECTED:
Ward 1: Troon
Kenneth Bell (Conservative)
Craig MacKay (SNP)
Bob Pollock (Conservative)
Phillip Saxton (Labour)
Ward 2: Prestwick
Iain Cochrane (SNP)
Hugh Hunter (Independent)
Martin Kilbride (Conservative)
Cameron Ramsay (Labour)
Ward 3: Ayr North
Laura Brennan-Whitefield (SNP)
Ian Cavana (Labour)
Ian Davis (Conservative)
Mark Dixon (SNP)
Ward 4: Ayr East
Chris Cullen (SNP)
Mary Kilpatrick (Conservative)
Brian McGinley (Labour)
Ward 5: Ayr West
Martin Dowey (Conservative)
Lee Lyons (Conservative)
Bob Shields (Independent)
George Weir (SNP)
Ward 6: Kyle
Julie Dettbarn (SNP)
Stephen Ferry (Conservative)
Duncan Townson (Labour)
Ward 7: Maybole, North Carrick & Coylton
Iain Campbell (Conservative)
Brian Connolly (Independent)
William Grant (SNP)
Ward 8: Girvan & South Carrick
Alec Clark (Independent)
Peter Henderson (SNP)
Gavin Scott (Conservative)
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