69 mins
Kilmarnock gave their chances of remaining in Scotland's top flight a massive boost by coming from a goal behind to beat Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
It must have been a refreshing
change for the Kilmarnock supporters to be able to
mock someone else for having a poor home support.
Unsurprisingly, the healthy contingent from Ayrshire
took full advantage of the opportunity. But then
their season is at least free of the ennui which has
fallen across Pittodrie like a sea mist.
Mark Kerr put the Dons ahead with a great
strike from the edge of the box into the top corner
in 26 minutes.
Liam Kelly scored a deserved equaliser for Killie after a period of sustained second-half pressure.
Then Kevin Kyle, a Dons signing target, met Graeme Owens' perfect cross to head home a stunning 74th-minute winner.
Aberdeen may already have secured their Scottish Premier League status but manager Mark McGhee was keen to end a disappointing campaign on a high.
The Reds' cause was not helped by the enforced absence of defenders Zander Diamond and Richard Foster, who, much to manager McGhee's annoyance, were sent off in the defeat by Hamilton on Saturday
.
Killie had only two chances of note in the first half, one of those falling to Craig Bryson, whose snap-shot was handled well by Nelson.
The other came from the boot of centre-forward Kyle, who controlled a volleyed pass from Manuel Pascali and attempted to lob keeper Stuart Nelson from just inside the box, but the ball dropped just wide of the post.
Aberdeen had offered little apart from a Sone Aluko shot that was blocked by former Don Scott Severin, but they posted a warning on 25 minutes when Aluko squared for Darren Mackie to shoot, forcing a brilliant save by Combe.
The breakthrough came seconds later from a most unlikely source.
Kerr's last goal came in 2006 when he scored for Dundee United against Livingston, but the defensive midfielder looked every bit the star striker when he unleashed a terrific shot from the edge of the box to put the Dons ahead.
As half-time approached, Steven MacLean held the ball up well and set up Mackie, whose 25-yard shot fizzed narrowly wide of Combe's post.
Prior to kick-off, Kilmarnock were above Falkirk, who occupied the automatic relegation spot with an inferior goal difference.
But at half-time, with the Bairns goalless against St Johnstone, Killie had moved to the bottom of the table. Worse, having scored only four league goals away from home all season, the chances of scoring twice to turn the match around looked remote.
Yet they started the second half much the brighter. Kelly's intelligent cross into the box was knocked on by Bryson, and Frazer Wright was foiled by Nelson's fine save.
With a sense of momentum, Tim Clancy found Kyle and his ball across the six-yard box ought to have produced a goal but Wright narrowly missed connecting with the ball.
James Fowler tested Nelson on the hour mark, then Kyle failed to hit the target as they pinned the Reds back.
The equaliser came from the boot of Liam Kelly (above), who found the net from the edge of box.
Immediately, Calderwood sent on Owens and within
three minutes the substitute had pinged a perfect
ball onto the head of Kyle and the Scotland cap
bulleted a header into the net.
Charlie Mulgrew tried a long-range hit that Combe saved well as Kilmarnock clung on in the final minutes for a result that could prove one of the most important in their 141-year history.
With Falkirk drawing at home to St Johnstone,
Killie move two points clear of bottom-placed Bairns,
who visit Rugby Park in Saturday's season finale.
