Gordon Dalziel's First Division side will now meet Rangers in the final next month, the side that beat them 7-0 in the Scottish Cup semis two years ago.

The result was nothing short of disaster for Franck Sauzee's struggling side, who now bear no resemblance to the team that earned a UEFA Cup spot last season.

This was a match that would always find living up to last night's thundering Old Firm clash an impossible task.

Thousands of Hampden Park seats remained empty and even the mascots spent the pre-match minutes listlessly pacing about the pock-marked pitch.

But a St Patrick's Day date with Rangers in the final was the prize at stake and the yellow-shirted Ayr United players had grounds to assume that a toppling of their purple-clad opponents was more than possible.

Dunfermline, a top-flight team in much better form than Franck Sauzee's charges, had been well beaten in the Scottish Cup and neighbours Kilmarnock beaten in an earlier round of this competition.

But as an entertaining evening it was as complete a non-event as you will ever see.

Hibernian started the stronger and Grant Brebner was twice close to opening the scoring in the first quarter of an hour.

First Craig Nelson denied him with a block of his fierce volley from John O'Neil's cross and then a deflection off David Craig denied him a few minutes later.

David Zitelli, who had replaced the injured Paco Luna, squandered the next chance by firing well over after cleverly letting the ball bounce in the box to fool his marker.

Ayr did not reply with menace until the 19th minute when Paul Sheerin ended a free kick move with a rising drive that flew over.

Hibernian had forced a number of corners at the other end and from one, in the 22nd minute, Garry O'Connor peeled away from his marker to head just wide.

But James Grady, the Ayr striker, was willing to try the unexpected and got the better of Paul Fenwick to fire a volley on the turn from just inside the area that went straight into the arms of Nick Colgan.

Ayr's strong tackling and running was nullifying the Hibs threat and O'Connor was twice forced to try his luck from distance, with no success.

Then he floated a back header from Brebner's free kick harmlessly into the goalkeeper's arms.

A great throughball from Pat McGinlay, one of three ex-Hibees in the Ayr side, sent John Robertson away into the box but although he managed to get past Gary Caldwell Fenwick put a foot in and Colgan gathered the loose ball.

It had been a very disappointing first 45 minutes.

The game failed to spark after the restart and Hibs made a change just before the hour by sending Alen Orman on in place of the disappointing Ulises de la Cruz.

Straight away a great chance emerged - and it was Ayr who created it thanks to Eddie Annand, whose curling pass dissected the Hibs defence to allow McGinlay to chest it down in the box and head straight for Colgan's goal.

The midfielder struck his shot powerfully but Colgan parried.

Hibs were stung into action and Zitelli almost opened the scoring at the other end, heading just wide after getting there ahead of two markers when O'Connor crossed into the six-yard box from the right by-line.

Orman was next to have a go, skipping past Neil Duffy to set up the shot but he could only fire at Nelson.

At last the game had come to life and Hibs made a second change by swapping Zitelli for Eduardo Hurtado.

Ian Murray's long ball down the middle almost caught Ayr out but as Hurtado tried to put O'Connor through last man Craig made a vital tackle to snuff out the danger.

Then Orman sent in a low cross into the box looking for the onrushing Murray but Robertson had tracked back and he too made a perfect saving tackle.

Paul Lovering, another ex-Hibee, was on the end of a free kick but his back post header bounced wide.

If ever there was a game that needed a goal this was it, if only as an extra time-avoiding mercy killing.

Orman bundled Lovering over near a corner flag but when the free kick found its way to John Hughes, the third ex-Hibee, at the far side of the area he spoiled a good move by blazing over.

Just nine minutes of normal time were left when Hibs took O'Connor off and sent on Derek Riordan.

Sheerin came forward to blast a shot from an angle that Colgan could only just cling on to as Ayr pushed forward in search of a knock-out blow.

But it never came and the game was banished to extra time purgatory.

Robertson put a cross from the right on to the head of McGinlay but with all the goal to aim at he sent it flying wide.

Then McGinlay turned to get in a shot but again could not hit the target.

But the 99th minute finally provided the breakthrough when McGinlay put Robertson in with a clever lofted ball into the box and Murray bundled him over.

It had not looked a clear cut decision but Annand made no mistake from the spot to hand the Honest Men the lead.

Hibs threw men forward and following a scramble Fenwick scuffed a good chance wide.

Orman forced Nelson into a fingertip save and Hurtado found the goalkeeper's hands with almost the last kick but that was as close as they were going to get and an only embarrassing exit was theirs.

Teams

Hibernian: Colgan, Smith, Fenwick, Caldwell, De la Cruz (Orman 58), Brebner, Wiss, O'Neil, Murray, Zitelli (Hurtado 63), O'Connor (Riordan 81).

Subs Not Used: Caig, Townsley.

Booked: O'Neil, Murray, Caldwell.

Ayr: Nelson, Robertson, Hughes, Craig, Lovering (Sharp 110), Sheerin, Duffy, McGinlay, Wilson (Scally 92), Annand (McLaughlin 120), Grady.

Subs Not Used: McEwan, Dodds.

Goals: Annand 101 pen.

After Extra Time

Att: 11,779

Ref: M McCurry (Scotland).