Rory McKenzie struck with 20 minutes left as Kilmarnock edged out local rivals Ayr 1-0 at a raucous Rugby Park last night.

Killie, who beat Ayr in the semi-finals en route to winning the cup in 2012, were made to work hard by a determined Somerset Park side.

But McKenzie's breakthrough in the 69th minute spared the top flight side's blushes as Allan Johnston's men marched into the next stage.

The visitors made a sprightly start and Nicky Devlin posed an early threat on three minutes when he came steaming in at the back post only to head over.

But the hosts slowly began to make their mark and almost seized the lead in the seventh minute. Sammy Clingan lifted a curling free-kick over the Ayr defensive wall but the ball rattled the crossbar.

The home side struggled to beak down Ayr's spirited resistance and the first half drifted to a largely uneventful conclusion.

It was more of the same after the resumption but McKenzie settled the nerves on 69 minutes with a tidy finish after being picked out in the box by Jamie Hamill.