Kilmarnock finished off their home campaign at the Bank of Scotland Premier
League with a 4-0 win over hapless Aberdeen at Rugby Park.
The Ayrshire side turned in the best performance of the season to thrash a
young and inexperienced Dons side who looked well out of their depth for most of
the 90 minutes.
The goals came from Kris Boyd (2), Colin Nish and Eric Skora, who turned in a
man-of-the-match performance in what was his last game in front of the home fans
before he returns from his loan period at Rugby Park to Preston next season.
It took only two minutes for the home side to have their first effort on goal
although midfielder Mark Canning's snapshot from 30 yards went high over the
bar.
But the home side's first real opportunity came in the sixth minute when Danny
Invincibile robbed Dons defender Scott Morrison and drove into the Dons penalty
area.
The Australian played in Boyd but the striker's angled shot from 12 yards went
wide of the far post.
The home side were on top now and should have taken the lead in the 11th
minute when Garry Hay put Stephen Murray clean through on goal but the little
midfielder's shot from 12 yards was straight at Dons goalkeeper David Preece who
saved comfortably at his feet.
As the first half wore on the Ayrshire side tightened their grip on the game
and there was no surprise when they took the lead in the 23rd minute through the
impressive on-loan midfielder Skora.
Murray's cross from the left-hand-side was headed out by Morrison to the feet
of the Frenchman, who took a touch before rifling the ball into the corner of
the net from 16 yards out.
Ten minutes before the interval the home side confirmed their superiority when
they doubled their lead and once again Skora was involved.
The midfielder whipped in a free-kick from the left and Boyd emerged from a
crowd of players to volley the ball home from close range.
Just before the interval Skora should have scored his second but was foiled by
Preece, who pulled off a great save after the Frenchman's close-range header
seemed destined for the net.
The visitors needed a quick goal after the interval to get them back into the
game but it was Kilmarnock who again took control of proceedings.
The home side continued to make openings and in the 54th minute Hay found Nish
unmarked inside the Aberdeen box but the big striker turned and shot high over
the bar.
Kilmarnock were firmly in control and in the 58th minute they increased the
lead to 3-0 with a well-worked goal.
Hay sprinted into the Aberdeen penalty area and his cutback only had to be
tapped into the empty net by Boyd for the striker's second goal of the game.
Aberdeen were all over the place now and on the hour mark it was 4-0 for the
home side when Invincibile cleverly set up Nish and the big striker coolly
chipped Preece from just inside the box to round off an impressive move.
In the 74th minute Nish should have scored again when Murray picked him out
with another cross from the left but this time the big striker carelessly headed
wide from close range.
The closing stages saw Kilmarnock continue to create and spurn chances and in
the end Aberdeen could be thankful they were not on the end of an even heavier
Teams
Kilmarnock: Smith, Lilley, Hay, Dindeleux, Fowler, Canning,
Skora (Dodds 78), Boyd (McSwegan 85), Murray, Nish (Dargo 85),
Invincibile.
Subs Not Used: Meldrum, McDonald.
Goals: Skora 24, Boyd 36, 58, Nish 61.
Aberdeen: Preece, Buckley (McCulloch 19), Morrison, O'Leary,
Rutkiewicz, Muirhead, Heikkinen, Sheerin, Foster, Prunty,
Stewart (Hinds 67).
Subs Not Used: Esson, Clark, Souter.
Att: 4,987
Ref: T Brown (Scotland).