Kilmarnock travelled to Dundee aiming to protect a seven-year
unbeaten record.
However, ex-Kilmarnock striker
Jim McIntyre
came back to haunt his former employers with a hat-trick inside the
first half hour.
Charlie Miller was also on the score sheet as United wrapped up the
points in the first 34 minutes.
It was all United from the moment the first whistle sounded and it
came as no surprise when they opened the scoring after only 10 minutes.
Barry Robson sent a free-kick into the box from just inside the
Killie half and caught the visitors' defence flat-footed.
This allowed ex-Killie man Jim McIntyre to nick in and nod the ball
into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
The visitors appeared to be in disarray and fell further behind in
the 12 minutes later when their terrible defending allowed Charlie
Miller space inside the penalty area.
He dropped behind the Killie defence in anticipation of a flick on
from McLaren and was in the perfect position to send a right-foot volley
past Meldrum.
Killie's defending was at fault once again, in the 26th minute, when
Lilley was needlessly dispossessed by Robson 30 yards from goal.
He bolted through the middle before rolling the ball to McIntyre on
the edge of the box and he simply looked up and sent a shot over the
goalkeeper's head.
Killie boss took immediate action in the form of a double
substitution,
withdrawing Barry McLaughlin and Garry Hay for Gordon Greer and Craig
Dargo.
Ian McCall's men continued to pin the visitors back into their own
half and five minutes they were again rewarded as McIntyre completed his
hat-trick.
Charlie Miller rolled the ball into him on the angle and McIntyre
blasted an unstoppable shot past Meldrum at his near post.
Killie had obviously been on the end of some harsh words from Jim
Jefferies at half-time and came out showing much more aggression.
However, Kris Boyd overstepped the mark with a flailing elbow on
former team-mate Chris Innes and was warned by the referee.
Killie pulled a consolation goal back in the 61st minute through
Danny Invincibile. This was Danny's 4th goal in 3 matches!
The striker was on hand to gather Boyd's knockdown and send an effort
beyond Paul Gallacher with the outside of his right boot from 10 yards.
Ian McCall made two changes as the game wore on.
Craig Easton and Jason Scotland came on in place of Robson and
hat-trick hero McIntyre.
Scotland showed some nice touches and did well to drive into the area
with five minutes remaining, but his final through ball to Dodds lacked
quality and the chance went begging.
Kilmarnock: Meldrum, Lilley
,
McLaughlin, (Greer 29 mins), Dindeleux, Hay, (Dargo 29 mins),
Fowler, Locke,
Skora, McDonald, Boyd, Invincibile.
Subs: Smith, McSwegan & Nish.
Attendance: 5,757
