Kilmarnock secured their first win since October with a convincing performance against a lacklustre Dundee side at Rugby Park.

Jim Jefferies' men, who had taken just one point from their previous seven matches, were the better side from start to finish and fully deserved the three points.

Danny Invincibile, Simon Ford - with his first goal for the Ayrshire side - and Kris Boyd, whose strike ended a 10-game goal famine, netted for Killie to keep alive their hopes of a top-six finish.

John Sutton replied for Jim Duffy's side just before the break but in truth the men from Deeside, who impressively defeated high-flying Aberdeen last week, never looked like taking anything out of the game.

Killie started as they meant to go on, Boyd being slid in after just three minutes and the striker showed nimble feet to get his low shot away on the turn.

Derek Soutar pushed the ball away and was relieved to see the ball land at the feet of Dundee defender Brent Sancho, who cleared well.

The visitors' opening gambit came a minute later when Steven Robb produced a superb free-kick which looked to be heading for the top corner before stand-in keeper Graeme Smith tipped it impressively round the corner.

Ten minutes later Killie again threatened to make the breakthrough; Invincibile and Gordon Greer combined smoothly down the right and from the latter's cross Colin Nish scuffed a shot wide which he should have done better with.

From an almost identical move six minutes later, the home side did take the lead. This time Australian Invincibile teamed up with Gary MacDonald before creeping into the box unmarked to finish confidently past the helpless Soutar.

On 25 minutes Duffy's men almost drew level when, from a short free-kick, Jonay Hernandez cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot which Smith again did well to parry.

Just like his opposite number in the third minute he was relieved to see the ball fall at the feet of a team-mate to clear Killie's lines.

After a spell of scrappy play - with neither side able to string more than a couple of passes together - Jefferies' men extended their lead.

From Garry Hay's left-wing free-kick, central defender Ford rose unmarked to power home his first goal for the club on 38.

But the Rugby Park faithful did not even have a minute to celebrate their comfortable lead, Steve Lovell picking out striker partner Sutton from the right and the Englishman fired home on 39.

MacDonald should have wrapped up the points on 50 when the ball dropped to him six yards out but he could only stab weakly at goal and Soutar, scrambling across his line, somehow kept the ball out.

Two minutes Killie again came close to doubling their lead when Hay's low drive from the edge of the box following a corner was turned just over by Boyd, whose last goal came against Dundee in mid-October.

It was all Kilmarnock at the start of the second half and a third for the home side seemed inevitable following a series of goalmouth clearances, with the visiting defence stretched to breaking point.

But Killie continued to be profligate, Boyd again fluffing his lines when slid through by Nish on 71, and the crowd were beginning to concern themselves with the possibility of a late smash-and-grab raid from Duffy's men.

In a bid to spark just such a scenario, the Dundee boss brought on Alex Cerdeira and Mark Fotheringham for Robb and Neil Barrett.

Jefferies responded by replacing young midfield tyro Steven Naismith with former Hearts and Scotland winger Allan Johnston.

Just when Dundee were beginning to mount something of a late surge, Boyd finally wrapped up the points for his side.

The ball was cleared from inside the Killie half, Nish controlled it well, rolled it into the path of Boyd and the young striker ended his goal famine with a sweet strike into the bottom right-hand corner on 82 minutes.

Teams

Kilmarnock Smith, Ford, Dindeleux, Greer, Naismith (Johnston 74), McDonald, Leven, Invincibile, Hay, Boyd, Nish.

Subs Not Used: Samson, Locke, Dargo, Wales, Murray, Wolski.

Booked: Greer.

Goals: Invincibile 18, Ford 38, Boyd 82.

Dundee Soutar, Smith, McDonald, Sancho, Hernandez Santos, McNally, Barrett (Fotheringham 73), Robb (Cerdeira 67), Brady, Sutton, Lovell.

Subs Not Used: Murray, Larsen, Wilkie, Caballero, Mann.

Booked: Cerdeira, Lovell.

Goals: Sutton 39.

Att: 5,468

Ref: H Dallas (Scotland).