Alan Cochrane @ Rugby Park

Killie had to come from behind twice before getting the winner with 14 minutes left, and if they didn't play as well as they can for long periods of this game, they waxed stronger the longer it went, and deserved the victory in the end.

St Johnstone were the better team for the first 45 minutes, and it was no surprise when Grainger fired a low ball into a congested penalty area that it was MacDonald who reacted quickest and fired a shot past Bell, giving the keeper no chance. Killie didn't give up though, and got their reward one minute before the break. St Johnstone failed to clear a freekick, Kyle got it back across goal, and Craig Bryson, who was wearing the captain's armband, volleyed in from close range.

Kilmarnock got a severe talking to at half time, came out much more determined, and promptly lost another goal. Grainger fired in a superb free kick, and Gartland needed only the gentlest of touches to beat Bell, and put the visitors back in the lead. This Killie team doesn't buckle easily any more though, and simply rolled up their metaphorical sleeves, and got stuck back in.

Their reward came mid-way through the half, and it was a rehearsed move that worked like clockwork which brought the equaliser. Garry Hay shaped to take a free kick but stepped over the ball and ran wide to the left. Chris Maguire did take it, rolled it in front of Hay, and the left back crashed it into the net from a narrow angle.

Mehdi Taouil had come on for the tiring Invincibile, and it was the little Moroccan who manufactured the winner. He collected the ball on the right, beat the full back, went for the line, crossed to the back post, and although Duberry had nullified the Kyle threat for most of the game, no-one could have stopped Kevin from heading the ball home. Killie actually got stronger from then until the end, and Connor Sammon did have the ball in the net again, but was adjudged to be off side.

Jimmy Calderwood was delighted to have won a game that could so easily have slipped away, and if he wasn't over-impressed by the ability shown today, he was cock-a-hoop at the industry and commitment which kept all three points in Kilmarnock.

Kilmarnock: Bell, Clancy (Sammon), Hay, Ford, Bryson, Invincibile (Taouil), Kelly, Hamill, Severin, Kyle (Old), Maguire

St Johnstone: Smith, Mackay, Grainger, Duberry, Gartland, Miller, Morris, Davidson, Sheerin (Craig), Sheridan (Samuel), MacDonald ( Deucher)

Referee: Stephen Finnie

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