Alan Cochrane @ Rugby Park

A full-blooded first half with no quarter asked or given ended with Killie deservedly ahead, courtesy of a Kevin Kyle strike after 33 minutes, and two further goals in the second 45 minutes, from Kyle again and then from Hamill, finally conquered Hamilton, and gave Kilmarnock a perfect start to the new season.

From the off, every player on the field was using the testosterone they had stored up over the summer, and tackles were thudding in from every angle, with no battle harder fought than that between Kilmarnock's big strikers and Hamilton's just as big central defenders. Sammon and Kyle versus Iriekpen and Andrews was an enthralling tussle, with Sammon in particular showing a lot more street nous than last season. Added to that, Kyle's ability to pull a ball down, hold it up, and then distribute accurately kept teasing holes in the visitors defence.

An early Old cross was well headed away by the old war horse Marvin Andrews, and then the Trinidadian was at the other end heading a Rubiales corner just wide. For Killie, Skelton had a shot go just wide, and Hamill had a shot from a narrow angle saved, with Kyle, Bryson and Sammon all screaming for a cross, before Bell had to dive sharply to his left to deny Offiong as Hamilton pushed forward.

Killie's opener came after Mehdi Taouil was pulled down on the right by Wesolowski. Garry Hay cleverly flighted the free kick to the back post as Killie dragged the Hamilton defence forward, and Kevin Kyle was unmarked as he volleyed home from 5 yards.

Six minutes after the break, Kyle got his second, and it was a purler. The big striker blocked as Iriekpen tried to clear, took a step forward, and then brought the home support to their feet with a shot into the postage stamp, high to Cerny's left, from 25 yards. The third, which came exactly three quarters way through the game, was a well-crafted gem, and sealed the victory. Hay fed Sammon on the left, the young Irishman waited until Hamill got through the middle, laid a pass in front of him, and Hamill made a perfect job of shooting low past the advancing keeper.

Before the end, Offiong saw a shot come back off Bell's right hand post, but Taouil and Bryson both had shots blocked, and Ford had a header skim the wrong side of the bar from a Taouil free kick, as Kilmarnock finished worthy winners.

Jim Jefferies was more than pleased with his team's afternoon. We took advantage of the changes Hamilton had had to make, and Kevin Kyle's performance after only one week's training was a delight, after pulling a muscle in Italy. He complemented Connor Sammon on his game, and said he would have started anyway, even if Fernandez and Birchell had been fit today. He also mentioned that Gary Locke phoned the team before the game to wish them luck, and they dedicated that victory to him. And our new captain? Well so far averaging nearly a goal again, when he doesn't consider himself a natural goal scorer, you could say his confidence is high. Long may it continue.

Kilmarnock: Bell, Hay, Wright, Ford, Bryson, Taouil (Flannigan), Skelton, Old, Kyle, Sammon, Hamill

Hamilton: Cerny, Rubiales, Iriekpen, Wesolowski (Gillespie), Offiong, Lyle, Evans, Andrews (Louhoungou), Paixao, Kissock (Mills), Mensing

Referee: Chris Boyle