Killie see off Dundee

Killie were made to work hard for their win

Kilmarnock 2-0 Dundee

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Kilmarnock emerged with three hard-earned points from their clash with Dundee at Rugby Park.

The visitors looked the livlier side in the first half but could not apply the finishing touch to some nice approach play.

The home side grew in stature in the second period and goals from Stevie Fulton and Kris Boyd secured the win.

Dundee will rue a number of missed chances, with Nacho Novo the main culprit in front of goal.

In the opening stages Dundee looked sprightly in attack with Novo and Fabian Caballero showing some nice touches.

In the 12th minute, the visitors had the first real chance to open the scoring when midfielder Gavin Rae picked out Steve Lovell with a 40-yard diagonal pass.

But the Englishman's weak shot from 15 yards trundled harmlessly past Gordon Marshall's left-hand post.

Dundee enjoyed a good first half

The Taysiders looked slicker as they moved the ball around the pitch and, at times, the Killie defenders were chasing shadows.

Kilmarnock almost took the lead against the run of play in the 24th minute when an Alan Mahood chip to the back post found Chris Innes who headed across goal to the unmarked Craig Dargo.

The young striker looked certain to tap in but from three yards out but he shot straight at goalkeeper Julian Speroni and the ball spun to safety.

As the first half drew to a close, both sides had cancelled each other out and there was little in the way of goalmouth action.

Early in the second half Novo worked a lovely one-two with Rae and sped into the box.

But the striker's angled shot from 15 yards flew past Marshall's right-hand post.

The home side took the lead after 57 minutes when substitute Stephen Murray raced forward and sent a cross in from the left to Boyd who lost control on the penalty spot.

The ball broke to Fulton 20 yards out and the midfielder took aim and fired an unstoppable shot high into the net.

Dundee should have equalised almost immediately but somehow Novo managed to miss his shot completely only six yards from goal.

Dundee tried to battle back but the Ayrshire men held firm and it was they who began to look dangerous on the break.

In injury time substitute James Fowler, on earlier for Andy McLaren, set Boyd up at the edge of the box and the striker shot low past Speroni to seal the points.

Kilmarnock: Marshall, Locke (Boyd 45), Innes, Shields, Dillon, Canero, Fulton, Mahood, McLaren (Fowler 65), Dargo (Murray 54), McSwegan.
Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Hay.

Booked: Shields, Dargo, Locke, Innes.

Dundee: Speroni, Smith, Wilkie, MacKay (Sara 65), Hernandez Santos, Brady, Rae, Mair, Novo, Lovell, Caballero.
Subs Not Used: Soutar, Milne, Khizanishvili, Robertson.

Attendance: 4,810
Referee: C Richmond