Nikolay Todorov struck a minute from time as promoted Arbroath got their William Hill Championship campaign under way with a 1-1 draw against Ayr.
Arbroath were League One champions last season but life back in the second tier started inauspiciously as Jamie Murphy excellently curled a shot into the top corner from distance in the fifth minute.
There was a brief delay as flares were thrown on to the pitch inside the first quarter-of-an-hour, after which Arbroath pushed hard for an equaliser and went close through Gavin Reilly after half-time.
While Reilly missed a one-on-one chance, substitute Todorov made no mistake in the 89th minute, leaping above Shaun Want to head home Craig Watson’s looping cross and guarantee a share of the spoils.
