Killie looked up for this right from the word go, and almost went ahead with barely a minute gone. As the ball found its way to the back post, where Jamie Adams struck a magnificent header which looked net bound all the way. That is until the outstretched hand of pars keeper Robertson clawed the ball away for a corner. The corner came to nothing.

It took until the 7th minute before we were threatened in any real way, but thankfully when it looked easier to score, Gorgi Hristov blasted over. Ten minutes in, and we had the lead our early play merited. Great work down the Killie right resulted in Mr. T. Rialist Esq. striking an unstoppable 23 yarder low into the back of the net. A deserved lead for Killie at the time, and coolly finished by the young Gino Invincibile.

Unfortunately however, all that appeared to do was annoy the visitors and minutes later we were punished for daring to take the lead. A ball was played into the box, where Hristov stuck out a hoof to deflect it past the helpless Smith.

Twenty minutes in and the curiously experienced looking pars side went into the lead. From a free kick, the Killie defence seemed to be caught ball watching as Christiansen doubled his personal tally against us this week making the score 1-2.

The  first, and as far as I can recall, only booking came half an hour in. Robbie Cochrane booked for causing Hristov to dive. The visitors by now were well on top and almost had a 3rd ten minutes before the break. Hristov’s shot after Killie had given up possession was saved well by Smith so the score line remained the same going into half time.

With eight minutes of the second half gone, we almost levelled the score. The free kick by Dargo only fizzed past the visitors post.

Normal service was resumed two minutes later, when an attacking move by Killie broke down and the pars drove forward. Hristov burst through and was only really challenged when he arrived at the box. But by that time he had a head of steam on him, and he brushed it aside to fire past Smith.

Three one was quickly to become four one and with 63 minutes on the clock and McGregor fouled Hristov In the box for a blatant penalty. The Pars’ Ian Campbell squeezed the ball past the young 'keeper, who had guessed right, but just failed to get to it in time.

Two minutes later and the rout was complete. Another deflected goal, this time by McGlinchie gave Smith no chance.

On 66 minutes a fairly innocuous clip by Dargo on Hunt resulted in the Englishman ‘doing a Jerome’. He threw himself in the air, and appeared to land awkwardly on his leg. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, the Pars midfielder was eventually replaced by Dunn.

Killie did have one last chance to get a better look to the score line. Good build up play down the right saw the ball eventually make its way to Nish. The big striker (by far the best on show for us today, with his tireless running up front, let down ultimately by lack of service) was able to knock the ball down to set up substitute, and professional tongue twister Rory Loy, with a glorious chance. Unfortunately, Loy could only blaze his shot over the bar.

The game pretty much fizzled out after that, with our attacks being snuffed out with ease by the strong visitors. Plus points: McGregor (despite the challenge that led to the pen), Dodds and our best on a bad day, Nish. Negative point: Murray looked like he didn’t fancy risking some challenges, possibly with an eye on Saturday.

Kilmarnock: Smith, McGregor, Hamill, Cochrane, Wild (Masterton 45), Adams (Sloan 82), T. Rialist Gino Invincibile to his mates (Loy 67), Dodds, Nish, Dargo, Murray
Subs (not used): Bell, Coyne

Dunfermline: Robertson, Wilson, Campbell, Derek Young (Vinter 45), McKeown, Scullion, Hunt (Dunn 67), Darren Young, McGlinchie (Kay 87), Hristov, Christiansen
Subs (not used): Thomson, Smith

Ref: Ramsan Bashir
Asst: Barry McNab, Michael Monaghan