Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies made only one
change to the side which won 1-0 at Aberdeen, bringing in Chris Innes at
the expense of Garry Hay, who dropped onto the bench.
It was a hard fought match with the referee
stopping the match 20 plus times for infringements, with Killie picking up
3 bookings (none to Dee!!) along the way.
Gary McSwegan once again led the Killie strike
force alongside veteran Andy McLaren.
Dundee hammered Partick 4-1 on Wednesday and
manager Jim Duffy also made only one change, introducing Scottish
international Gavin Rae for Juan Sara, who started the game on the bench.
Fabian Caballero recovered from a groin strain to
take his place in attack alongside Nacho Novo, who shrugged of a calf
injury.
It was Kilmarnock who forced the first corner of
the match in the second minute but Alan Mahood's short kick to Andy
McLaren came to nothing as the ex-Dundee United player's cross was easily
cleared.
Dundee looked sprightly in attack with Nacho 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.
Moments later Caballero's trickery allowed him to
set up Lovell again but, this time, the offside flag saved the home side.
The Taysiders looked slicker as they moved the
ball around the pitch and, at times, the Killie defenders were chasing
shadows.
In the 17th minute, Dundee were again caught
offside, Lovell again racing onto a Rae pass just a moment too soon.
At the other end, a Steve Fulton pass sent Gary
McSwegan clear on the left but the ex-Rangers player's cross was cut out
by Dens defender David Mackay.
Kilmarnock should have taken the lead in the 24th
minute with the best chance of the half.
A Mahood chip to the back post found Chris Innes
who headed across goal to the unmarked Dargo.
The young striker looked certain to tap in but
from three yards out but he shot straight at Speroni and the ball spun to
safety. Jim Jefferies told BBC Scotland after the match that he thought
missing this "sitter" may have impacted Dargo's confidence (along with
being booked), and that was/were the reason for early 2nd half substition
in the 54th minute for Stephen Murray.
Dundee then ran to the other end and Nacho Novo's
shot across the goalmouth was almost begging to be put in but no Dens
players were on hand.
The lively Novo might have done better when Jonay
Hernandez set him up inside the box but the ex-Raith striker hesitated
allowing Innes to rob him.
As the first half drew to a close, both sides had
almost cancelled each other out and there was little in the way of
goalmouth action.
McLaren was working the left side well for the
home side but the Dundee fans jeered when the former United player fell
over the ball just in front of them.
Killie manager Jim Jefferies shuffled his side
around at half time bringing Kris Boyd on for Gary Locke and moving Peter
Canero to full-back.
Dundee continued to play the ball in a more
assured way but still the Dens men found the tough tackling of the Killie
defenders a barrier they could not break down.
Killie then swapped Dargo for Murray and the move
paid off within two minutes when the home side took the lead.
Murray raced forward and sent a cross in from the
left to Boyd who lost control on the penalty spot.
But the ball broke kindly to Stevie Fulton 20 yards out
(above) and the midfielder took aim and fired an unstoppable volley high into the
net past the despairing Speroni.
But Killie let their guard down and Dundee should
have equalised almost immediately but Novo managed to miss his shot
completely only six yards from goal.
As the second half wore on, it looked
increasingly likely like Fulton's goal would be the difference between the
teams.
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 McLaren, set Kris Boyd up at the edge of the box and the striker
shot low past Speroni to seal the game.
Kilmarnock: Marshall, Locke (Boyd 45), Innes, Shields, Dillon, Canero,
Mahood, Fulton, McLaren (Murray 54), McSwegan, Dargo (Fowler 65)
Subs not used: Meldrum, Hay.
Scorers: Fulton (57), Boyd (90).
Attendance: 4,810
