However, the game had begun brightly and Ayr could have been in front inside the first minute when Frenchman Jerome Vareille shot just over the bar when claiming that his shirt was being pulled from behind.
But that was as good as it got for Ayr in a frustrating first half and Stirling went on to dominate and were left to rue a host of missed opportunities in front of goal.
Steven Bell, Dene Shields and Paul Hay should all have done better with their efforts but Ayr rode the storm and made it to half-time on level terms.
It was matter of when and not if they changed the lone striker system and it took just 14 minutes of the second half for manager Robert Connor to throw on another striker in the shape of Gareth Wardlaw.
The move almost paid dividends when Wardlaw was inches away from tapping home a Paul Walker cross as Ayr cranked up the pressure on the Stirling goal.
But the visitors were an increasing threat on the break and enjoyed a good spell of pressure towards the end of the game but they should have taken all three points.
Bell saw another two efforts go close before Shields and Doug Wilson wasted good chances in the last three minutes to take the points back up through the road to Stirling.