Injury-ravaged Kilmarnock will look back ruefully at Hibernian's
second goal after 30 minutes - a penalty from Donaldson - after Frazer
Wright appeared to win the ball challenging the striker.
Their day of misery was complete when Ryan O'Leary was handed a
straight red card 13 minutes from the end after a trip on
man-of-the-match Donaldson.
Hibernian, who handed defender Darren McCormack a first league start
on his 19th birthday, showed early promise when Donaldson sprinted away
from David Lilley on the left before being fouled. Steven Fletcher's
resultant free-kick just failed to find the head of captain Rob Jones.
The visitors first threatened after nine minutes, when Ryan Jarvis -
playing in an unfamiliar front pairing with Aime Koudou - saw a shot
deflected over by Jones.
But, three minutes later, a sprightly home side made the breakthrough
thanks to Donaldson.
Brain
Kerr headed a loose ball into the penalty area and as Jones flicked on,
the striker was first to react to hook into the right corner from six
yards.
Koudou almost struck an instant leveller as he broke away on the
right but goalkeeper Yves Ma-Kalambay denied him with his legs.
David Murphy's perfectly-placed angled cross then picked Fletcher
lurking just yards from goal. The Scotland Under-21 forward showed
strength to hold off Frazer Wright but his near post effort was blocked
by Alan Combe.
Jones came within inches of a second after 28 minutes when his header
from Kerr's cross was brilliantly palmed away by Combe.
However, controversy raged just seconds later when Hibernian were
handed a soft penalty.
Donaldson sped into the box on the right, only to go down under a
challenge as Wright slid in across him.
Referee Stuart Dougal had no hesitation in awarding the spot-kick,
but Killie players furiously surrounded the whistler, claiming -
seemingly correctly - that Wright had made contact with the ball.
Simon Ford was booked for his protests, before Donaldson stepped up
to comfortably fire home his second on the half-hour mark.
The Rugby Park outfit were seething, but Allan Johnston almost
reduced arrears as Ma-Kalambay stooped his cross-cum-shot at the left
post.
At the other end, Ford was forced to clear off the line from a Filipe
Morais strike after Combe had failed to collect a cross.
Within seconds of the restart, Donaldson was then handed a glorious
chance for his hat-trick after Hibernian were awarded a second penalty.
Morais' cross into the box saw Lilley penalised for climbing over the
top of Donaldson who slumped to the deck.
But the Englishman was too casual with his spot-kick as Combe, going
the wrong way, superbly got his right hand to the ball.
After 52 minutes, the Killie goalkeeper continued his excellent form
as he denied Fletcher after Murphy's sweeping cross.
Kilmarnock boss Jim Jefferies had seen enough and boldly used all his
substitutes by the 55th minute, Craig Bryson, Colin Nish and Willie
Gibson coming on.
But the tide continued to flow towards Combe's goal and he was again
called into the action on the hour to smother Fletcher's swerving shot.
It was the striker's last involvement as Antoine-Curier emerged from
the bench.
And the replacement French forward was soon on target to score
Hibernian's third on 65 minutes, as Donaldson found him unmarked at the
back post to tap home.
Jones then saw a header fly straight at Combe before Killie broke to
net a consolation in the 76th minute.
Gibson sped down the left and his cut-back allowed fellow replacement
Colin Nish to easily net.
However, the visitors' joy was short-lived as O'Leary received a
straight red card for a professional foul on Donaldson.
Dougal awarded Hibernian a third spot-kick of the afternoon and this
time Donaldson made no mistake to celebrate his hat-trick.
Antoine-Curier almost added further gloss as his curling free-kick
flashed wide.
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