Gritty Killie dig deep for vital points and break Staggies hoodoo

Killie recorded their first win over their northern opponents in four meetings this season — much to the relief of the home supporters.

- ALEX MILLIGAN

And while it wasn’t the most convincing of performances, they did enough to earn all three points and give themselves breathing space in the bottom six.

The home side suffered a pre-match blow when captain Brad Lyons was injured in the warm-up, with David Watson coming on to start the match in his place.

Unsurprisingly, both sets of players were in nervous mode as the game got underway, with neither side stamping their authority.

If anything, the visitors looked the more threatening of the two in the opening period, without really troubling the Kilmarnock defence.