Graeme Smith was named man of the match, as a fine second half performance by the Dons left Killie looking at their 3rd straight one goal loss to Aberdeen. With Motherwell also winning today, Killie's "top 6" aspirations are now effectively gone. With 9 matches remaining Killie could yet get dragged into the relegation battle for 04-5.

Had our form not been decent the first 11 matches of the season, we would certainly be fav's for the drop having picked up only 13 points from their last 17 SPL outings.

Aberdeen looked the brighter side early in the game, but it was Kilmarnock who put together a clever move to carve out a good chance in the seventh minute.

Having been picked out by James Flower, Kris Boyd muscled captain Russell Anderson off the ball and played a pass into the box, but Allan Johnston's first-time shot went wide.

Hugh Dallas was the referee at Rugby Park after the controversial match at Hearts in midweek and he was right to wave play on in the eighth minute after Michael Hart had kneed the ball back to Dons' goalkeeper Ryan Esson.

The Dons had Esson to thank for keeping them on level terms shortly after, when Invincibile latched on to Johnston's cross at the back post but the goalkeeper ran across his line to save his point-blank effort.

A mix-up in the home side's defence was almost punished by the Pittodrie outfit in the 36th minute.

Smith and David Lilley both waited for each other to deal with Severin's ball to allow Stewart to nip in but he could only flick the ball wide of the post.

Hugh Dallas awarded the Rugby Parkers a penalty in the 44th minute when Richie Byrne pulled down Colin Nish but Esson produced a brilliant save to keep Kris Boyd's strike out.

Aberdeen went close in the 52nd minute when Hart let fly with a fierce right-foot shot, which was deflected just past the upright.

Fowler then saved Kilmarnock by racing back to clear from under his own crossbar after Stewart had pulled the ball across the face of goal.

The home side breathed a sigh of relief in the 71st minute when Severin's shot looped off Lilley over Smith, but the ball went wide of the post.

However, Kevin McNaughton took it upon himself to become the match-winner as he ran 15 yards before curling a left-foot strike past the keeper and into the corner of the net 10 minutes from time.

Kilmarnock: Smith, Fowler, Hay, Lilley,  Ford, Invincibile, Locke,  McDonald, Johnston,  Nish (Dargo 75 mins), Boyd (Naismith 74 mins)

Subs: Bell, Dindeleux, Fontaine, Murray, Dodds

Attendance: 5,181

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