Match ends, Ayr United 0, Partick Thistle 5.
Partick Thistle are through to the Premiership play-off final after brushing aside 10-man Ayr United at a packed Somerset Park.
Leading 3-0 from the first leg, the visitors added five more goals, Jack McMillan striking early and Scott Tiffoney doubling their lead moments after Dipo Akinyemi was sent off for an angry shove.
In the second half, McMillan set up Tiffoney's second, Stevie Lawless drilled home and Kevin Holt added a late header in a one-sided contest.
Thistle, who also hit eight against Queen's Park in the quarter-final, are the first team to make the final after finishing fourth in the Championship.
The first leg is at Firhill on Thursday and the Jags' scintillating form will have their top-flight opponents very concerned.
Ross County and Kilmarnock, who meet at Rugby Park on Sunday, are battling to avoid 11th spot, while there is a remote chance of Dundee United hauling themselves off the bottom.
A bumper crowd turned out, with the home faithful hoping for something special, but that bubble was burst on seven minutes when McMillan headed in after an Aidan Fitzpatrick shot was stopped by goalkeeper Charlie Albinson.
And the hosts' slim hopes evaporated when top-scorer Akinyemi was dismissed for reacting to being held by Aaron Muirhead, with the defender making the most of it with a dramatic fall.
Thistle soon doubled their lead on the counter-attack, Tiffoney converting from Fitzpatrick's low cross.
Tiffoney added another goal in the 54th minute, poking in a McMillan delivery from six yards.
Lawless cracked in a neat reverse finish after Albinson had palmed away Holt's cross and the defender got the better of the keeper from a corner to complete the scoring.
'When you're winning, your legs don't feel tired'
Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan: "I think it's a statement of the way we want to play, of how good we can be and what's coming.
"That's how we've approached every game, we've not sat back. We've come into the play-offs strong and we'll get strong as the games go on.
"When you score goals, you feel great. When you're winning games, your legs don't feel as tired.
"Winning breeds winning. We've set up a winning environment. Even in training, our boys compete like that."
Ayr United boss Lee Bullen: "Partick Thistle were excellent over the two games and deserve to go through. I wish them the very best.
"From our point of view, it's very, very sore. We lost the early goal, but the red card gave us an impossible task. I never really got to see it and I haven't seen it back yet, so I'm going to hold my council on that until I do see it.
"We're hurting so badly. In the summer we might be able to sit back and appreciate the highs but, at the moment, it feels like a failure and like we've let people down."
Line-ups
Ayr
Formation 4-4-2
- 21Albinson
- 17McAllisterBooked at 58mins
- 4Musonda
- 5McGinty
- 3Reading
- 14Mullin
- 8DempseySubstituted forMaguireat 62'minutes
- 18McAlearBooked at 32minsSubstituted forSmithat 45'minutes
- 23AshfordSubstituted forMurdochat 45'minutes
- 9AkinyemiBooked at 25mins
- 22McKenzieSubstituted forMitchell-Lawsonat 62'minutes
Substitutes
- 1McAdams
- 6Murdoch
- 10O'Connor
- 11Mitchell-Lawson
- 15Kirk
- 20Hewitt
- 30Bryden
- 31Smith
- 77Maguire
Partick Thistle
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 31Mitchell
- 2McMillan
- 22MuirheadBooked at 25minsSubstituted forHodsonat 71'minutes
- 5Brownlie
- 4Holt
- 6Turner
- 23Docherty
- 11LawlessSubstituted forMcKinnonat 66'minutes
- 7TiffoneySubstituted forMullenat 59'minutes
- 21FitzpatrickSubstituted forMackenzieat 66'minutes
- 9GrahamSubstituted forDowdsat 59'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Sneddon
- 10Dowds
- 15McKinnon
- 16Hodson
- 19Mullen
- 25Owens
- 29Mackenzie
- 30Stevenson
- Referee:
- Colin Steven
- Attendance:
- 5,811
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home42%
- Away58%
- Shots
- Home7
- Away20
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away8
- Corners
- Home1
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away7
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Ayr United 0, Partick Thistle 5.
Post update
Attempt missed. Anton Dowds (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Zander Mackenzie.
Goal!
Goal! Ayr United 0, Partick Thistle 5. Kevin Holt (Partick Thistle) header from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kyle Turner with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Sean McGinty.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Zander Mackenzie (Partick Thistle) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ross Docherty.
Post update
Foul by Kevin Holt (Partick Thistle).
Post update
Chris Maguire (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Anton Dowds (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Kevin Holt with a cross.
Post update
Corner, Ayr United. Conceded by Jack McMillan.
Post update
Attempt missed. Danny Mullen (Partick Thistle) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Ross Docherty.
Post update
Foul by Kyle Turner (Partick Thistle).
Post update
Jayden Mitchell-Lawson (Ayr United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Attempt missed. Anton Dowds (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Zander Mackenzie.
Substitution
Substitution, Partick Thistle. Lee Hodson replaces Aaron Muirhead.
Substitution
Substitution, Partick Thistle. Cole McKinnon replaces Steven Lawless.
Substitution
Substitution, Partick Thistle. Zander Mackenzie replaces Aidan Fitzpatrick.
Post update
Ross Docherty (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Sean McGinty (Ayr United).
Goal!
Goal! Ayr United 0, Partick Thistle 4. Steven Lawless (Partick Thistle) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal.