A late goal from substitute Craig Dargo earned Kilmarnock three
points and nudged Dundee nearer the teams at the wrong end of the SPL
table.
The striker shot in off the post in the 86th minute after the
visitors' defence had failed to clear their lines.
Dundee had the best of an untidy first half, but Kilmarnock dominated
after the interval.
Before Dargo found the net, Danny Invincible had twice gone close and
Derek Soutar saved from Gary Wales.
With the three teams below Dundee all picking one point, Jim Duffy's
side are just three points off bottom spot.
Kilmarnock began by passing the ball about well but it was the more
direct Dundee who created the early chances.
The first was fired across goal and wide by striker Tom McManus after
Iain Anderson had set him up in the third minute.
Five minutes later, Steven Robb was inches away from connecting with
a dangerous Joel Kitamirike cross.
Killie striker Gary Wales was set up by a Gordon Greer pass but saw
his volley sail over the top.
Anderson might have put the visitors ahead in the 24th minute when
Kilmarnock goalkeeper Alan Combe punched a corner kick his way.
The winger connected well with his shot but could only find the
side-netting.
Killie looked brighter in the second half and Anderson had to track
back into his own box to block Gary McDonald and the midfielder saw a
defender get in the way of his next shot with a low follow-up effort
from Danny Invincibile being saved by Derek Soutar.
Killie forced three corners in quick succession with the third in the
55th minute, almost resulted in the breakthrough the small crowd of 3770
had been longing for.
Peter Leven swung it in from the right and Gary McDonald nodded it on
to where Invincibile was lurking seven yards out.
The Australian met it on the volley and would have found the top
corner if Soutar had not reacted brilliantly to palm it over.
Invincibile then headed onto the roof of the net for another corner
and Soutar saved from Wales after Gary Locke had seen his initial effort
blocked.
With four minutes left, sub Craig Dargo (who'd been on
less than 5 mins) managed to get a cross from the left from Leven under
control.
And, with no challenger managing to get a toe in, he fired in off a
post to wrap up the points for the home side.
Kilmarnock: Combe, Fowler, Lilley, Hay,
Dindeleux, Greer, (Invincibile
22 mins),
Locke, McDonald, Wales (Dargo 81 mins), Leven, Boyd (Nish 81
mins)
Subs: Smith, Johnston, Murray, Dodds
Attendance: 3,770
