How Dundee United must hate Kris Boyd. He has scored half of his 14 league goals against them, five in the one game, and he might have equalled that remarkable score with cuter finishing. He did manage two, one in each half, one of which was from the penalty spot, to shrug off the memory of last week’s miss. This was also Killie's first clean-sheet in NINE outings!

Jim Jefferies made two changes to the side that lost to Aberdeen last week; Freddie Dindeleux came in for the injured Simon Ford while Steven Naismith returned to the starting lineup at the expense of Invincibile who dropped to the bench.

United were first to threaten after a scrappy opening period and a sweet volley from Stuart Duff forced Smith into a smart save.

But Killie took the lead out of the blue when Kris Boyd (right) headed into the bottom right-hand corner from a swirling Leven delivery.

United spurned a glorious opportunity to equalise on 42 minutes when they were awarded a penalty after Grant Brebner went down theatrically from a David Lilley challenge but Underhill pointed straight to the spot.

Young Graeme Smith who deduced the direction of the kick, to his left, and parried magnificently. The ball broke to James Grady, who turned it back in and, had it not been for James Fowler’s meaty interception on the goalline, it would have been even.

The visitors came close to an equaliser when Alan Archibald got on the end of a Barry Robson free-kick at the back post to head just wide.

Killie were dangerous on the break and moments after Colin Nish had stung Tony Bullock's hands, the striker sent Boyd through on goal but the United keeper foiled him with a fine block.

Two minutes later Steven Naismith thundered a powerful strike at goal from inside the box which Bullock did well to beat out.

At the interval Invincibile entered the fray at the expense of former Hearts and Rangers winger Allan Johnston, who had been anonymous in the first period.

McCall made his first change when Robson came on for McIntyre after 56 minutes in a move which which meant James Grady moved from the right of midfield to partner Crawford up front.

Killie were awarded a penalty when Gary MacDonald was brought down in a busy goalmouth.

Kris Boyd smacked the ball home off the inside of the right-hand post (pictured right) for his seventh goal against United this season. Boyd did not allow his miss of last week to unsettle him, stepped up to score, by way of the inside of the right post.

The Irvine-born striker thought he had his hat-trick two minutes later when he poked home from close range, but it was ruled out for offside.

Invincible then tried a back-heel to finish off a Fowler cross but it didn't came off.

Boyd left the pitch to a standing ovation after 40 minutes, to be replaced by Craig Dargo, while Gary Wales came on for Nish as Jefferies rewarded his strikers for a good day's work with an early bath.

Substitute Danny Invincibile then added a magnificent third goal two minutes from time to put the seal on a fine performance from the home side.

Danny picked the ball up just inside the Dundee United half, ran in on goal, realised that the marking was absent and  curled a beauty with the outside of his right boot low to the left of Bullock's goal. (right) Danny had replaced Allan Johnstone at the half.

Invincibile said...“I thought someone would come out and tackle me,”  (and he wasn’t the only one), “but they stood off me and I’m just delighted to see it go in.”

The win, in front of a crowd of just 4,353, (Killie's lowest SPL of the season) boosts Kilmarnock's slim hopes of catching Motherwell and securing a lucrative place in the top six before the split.

But, perhaps more significantly, it leaves United bottom of the table after Livingston picked up a point against Motherwell and in real trouble - with their next three SPL games against Celtic, Hibernian and Rangers.

Kilmarnock: Smith, Fowler,  Hay, Lilley, Dindeleux, Leven, McDonald, Johnston, (Invincibile 45 mins), Naismith, Boyd (Dargo 84 mins), Nish (Wales 84 mins)

Subs: Bell, Murray, Fontaine, Dodds

Attendance: 4,353  None