Alloa were forced to make a team change before the match when goal keeper Gary McGlynn had to leave the field in the warm-up period to be replaced by James Evans.
Ayr started the match the stronger side and in the fourth minute Evans pulled off a brilliant save low to his left-hand post from a Chris Robertson 12-yard shot.
Alloa fought back and were unlucky not to open their account in the 13th minute when Jamie Stevenson's 12-yard shot went narrowly past the post with Mark McGeown in the Ayr goal well beaten.
Ayr took the lead against the run of play in the 28th minute when Raymond Logan headed home from one-yard after Barry McLaughlin had out-jumped a static Alloa defence to head a Mark Casey cross on to the bar.
Two goals in three minutes from Ayr destroyed any hope that Alloa had of taking something from this match.
Come-back striker Jerome Vareille, after being out for a month was on hand in the 47th minute to slam the ball home from 12 yards after the Alloa keeper Evans had parried a Paul Hyslop shot back into play.
Three minutes later Vareille was unmarked on the Alloa penalty spot when he controlled a Craig Conway cross and volleyed the ball home.
Substitute Gareth Wardlaw extended Ayr's lead in the 84th minute when he fired home an unstoppable shot from 18 yards.