A brace from Liam Kelly proved the difference as Kilmarnock beat 10-man Hibernian at a snow-dusted Rugby Park.
Kelly fired his first into the bottom corner from a Ben Gordon cut-back and made it two when he slotted home Gordon's pass from inside the box.
Derek Riordan lashed the ball into the net to bring Hibs back into the game, but they could not find a leveller.
And the visitors found themselves a man down late on as Liam Miller was shown a straight red card.
The result moves Kilmarnock up to fifth in the Scottish Premier League while Hibs remain ninth.
Both sides were trying to get the ball down and play despite the wintry conditions and Miller went close for Hibs, stabbing the ball just wide of the post from only a couple of yards out following a slip by Killie defender James Fowler.
But it was the home side who went in front in the ninth minute. Mehdi Taouil fed left-back Gordon, who cut the ball back to Kelly at the edge of the box and the midfielder shot low into the net, showing why he was given a new contract with the club this week.
Killie were on top, with Gordon looking impressive, but the visitors were next to go close. John Rankin burst into the box and fired in a low, drilled effort that deflected off a home defender and keeper Cammy Bell managed to divert the shot over the bar with his boot despite diving the wrong way.
The
hosts moved further ahead when another Gordon pass
set up Kelly - this time inside the box - and the
midfielder side-footed the ball past goalkeeper Mark
Brown.
Edwin de Graaf was presented with the first chance of the second half when Riordan's pass split the Killie rearguard, but Gordon got back in time to block the Dutchman's effort.
Hibs were pushing hard to get back into the game and talismanic striker Riordan got his seventh of the season when he cut in from the left and lashed the ball into the roof of the net from the edge of the box.
Kelly tried a long-range effort following a fine passing move from the home side, but his shot was comfortably taken by Brown to wreck any dreams Kelly had of a hat-trick.
Gordon then rifled in a left-footed effort from just inside the Hibernian box, but Brown acrobatically tipped the ball past the post.
Hibs put plenty of pressure on the home defence, with de Graaf going close from a tight angle, but the visitors could not find a way through.
Killie thought they had won a penalty in the 80th minute when Sammon was clipped by Miller, but referee Craig Thomson decided the offence took place just outside the box.
The fourth official then attracted the attention of Thomson, and on the advice offered, a red card was shown to Miller for an incident off the ball.
When Killie eventually took the free-kick, Fowler picked up the clearance 25 yards out and forced Brown into tipping the ball over the bar with a rasping volley.
The visitors threw everything at Killie in the last 10 minutes, but Mixu Paatelainen's men held firm to claim their seventh win of the season.
Sandy's Match Pic's are HERE
