Player-manager Peter Murphy admitted Annan Athletic’s start was the most disappointing aspect of their heavy defeat to Ayr United.

The Black and Golds ended their Betfred Cup campaign, and their build-up to the league season which starts on Saturday, with a 6-1 loss to the Honest Men at Galabank.

Ayr, Murphy’s old club, took the lead inside the first 20 seconds through Ross Docherty and doubled their lead in the third minute with Craig McGuffie finding the net.

That set the tone for Athletic’s Saturday afternoon and further goals from Michael Moffat, Craig Moore, Andy Geggan and Declan McDaid gave the Scottish League One side a six-goal advantage.

Ryan Sinnamon did finally offer Annan fans something to cheer as he slotted past former Galabankies keeper Jordan Hart to pull one back and grab his first competitive goal since joining Athletic on a permanent basis this summer.

But the damage had already been done with the Black and Golds falling to a big defeat, although they did finish above Scottish Championship outfit Dumbarton in Group E of the Betfred Cup.

Reflecting on the loss, Carlisle United’s record outfield appearance-maker Murphy said: “The start was the most disappointing thing.

“Inside probably 10-15 seconds, we conceded a goal when not one of our players has laid a glove on their players or cleared the ball. Obviously, goals change games. We conceded again straight away and it’s disappointing, especially with everything that has been laid in place before this game.

“Ayr have come here and they are very confident. They had had a couple of good results and got another good result today. But we are quite disappointed. They played well, but we didn’t play well so that played into their hands a little bit more as well.”

Annan also conceded early in their 2-0 loss at the hands of Kilmarnock, and Murphy wants his players to react better when they make mistakes.

“What I have noticed in the Scottish Leagues that I have played in, goals do affect teams for a short period after the goals go in with the way the formation goes because lads get disappointed,” he said.

“I’m trying to get into the lads, ‘Don’t be disappointed with the goal’. It’s how you react after that or with any mistake you make. It was just disappointing that the goal was so early. I think it did really affect our boys.”