Alan Cochrane @ Rugby Park

A Connor Sammon hat-trick capped a magnificent match for the big striker as he led the line, terrorised Airdrie, helped bring an end to Killie's goal drought, and ensured Kilmarnock are in the next round of the Co-operative Insurance cup. But Airdrie played their part in an entertaining match, and the fact it was only 2-1 at the interval showed that it was the Premier League outfits superior pace and fitness which finally settled the tie.

The tie could hardly have got off to a better start as far as Kilmarnock were concerned. With only three minutes gone, Kelly fastened on to a ball inside the Airdrie half, released Connor Sammon with a diagonal pass, and the tall Irishman beat Mark Ridgers in the Airdrie goal, low to his left, to open his, and Kilmarnock's account for the 2010-11 season.

They followed this up with Dayton cutting in at pace from the right but Gibson somehow scrambling his low cross over the bar, and Frazer Wright having a header from a corner cleared off the line. Pascali also had a header saved and Kelly hooked over from a da Silva cross, but Airdrie capitalised on Kilmarnock dozing when McCord volleyed through a milling defence to give Bell no chance, It took Frazer Wright coming forward to pick up a ball that Sammon won in the box and volley in to restore the lead, and send Killie in at the break a goal ahead.

Three minutes after the break Kelly had a screamer that was heading for the top corner, only to be clawed out by the Airdrie Keeper, but less than 10 minutes had passed when Hay again found Connor Sammon in space, and again the striker made no mistake. Just after the hour it was four when Liam Kelly finished a sweeping move down the left by flicking the ball up and volleying home. The fifth was a Sissoko header from a Hay cross and the sixth was a glancing Sammon header which earned him the match ball.

Airdrie had got a goal back three minutes from time, but the further the match went, the more confident Killie became, and what could have been an awkward tie was safely managed, and finally won in some style

The crowd went home happy.

Kilmarnock: Bell, Clancy, Hay, Wright, Sissoko, da Silva (Invincibile), Gordon, Kelly, Dayton (Fowler), Pascali

Airdrie United: Ridgers, Bain, McGregor, Grant, Gibson, Stallard, McCord, Devlin, Gemmill, Watt, Johnston

Referee: George Salmond

For interviews with Mixu Paatelainen and Connor Sammon, listen to www.kicktalk.co.uk