Kevin McNaughton emerged the unlikely matchwinner with a terrific 80th-minute
solo effort at Rugby Park to keep Aberdeen on course for a place in Europe.
The spectacle was so bad up until that minute that under-fire referee Hugh
Dallas would have been the happiest man following a desperately poor encounter.
The official, whose integrity has been called into question by Hearts
following their controversial defeat to Rangers in midweek, had little to do but
he did award Kilmarnock a penalty before the break from which Ryan Esson saved
brilliantly from Kris Boyd.
And McNaughton, the former Scotland international, made the seventh-placed
side pay by running 15 yards to curl a cracking left-foot shot past Graeme Smith
from the edge of the box and move Aberdeen to within two points of third-placed
Hibernian, who play Celtic tomorrow.
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood was without suspended Zander Diamond and
injured pair Noel Whelan and Philip McGuire.
He brought in Scott Severin for the first time since December 27, as well as
Scott Morrison and John Stewart after their midweek win at Dundee United.
Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies, who saw his side lose to bottom club
Livingston on Wednesday, was without injured Alan Combe, Gary Locke and Steven
Naismith so he drafted in Graeme Smith, Colin Nish and Danny Invincibile.
Aberdeen looked the brighter side on the break but it was Kilmarnock who put
together a good move to carve out a good chance in the seventh minute.
Having been picked out by James Flower, Kris Boyd muscled captain Russell
Anderson off the ball and drove the ball into the box but Allan Johnston
volleyed over from 16 yards.
Kilmarnock keeper Smith kept the scores level in the 14th minute when he threw
himself to his left to turn Morrison's sweetly-struck 30-yard strike around the
post.
Dallas incensed the home crowd in the 20th minute when Nish went down under
strong challenge but was given absolutely nothing.
The home manager needed to be spoken to by the fourth official Martin Sproule
in the 25th minute as the fans frustration found its way to the bench.
But Kilmarnock were getting the better chances and Gary McDonald fired over
from Nish's header down in the 28th minute.
The Dons had Esson to thank for keeping them on level terms a minute later
when Invincibile latched onto Johnston's cross at the back post but the
goalkeeper ran across his line to save his point-blank effort.
Kilmarnock were the better side and Aberdeen had Morrison booked for a foul on
Invincibile before Garry Hay fired over the top from long range.
But a mix-up in the home side's defence was almost punished by the Pittodrie
outfit in the 36th minute.
Smith and David Lilley both waited for each other to deal with Severin's ball
to allow Stewart to nip in but he could only flick the ball wide of the post.
Dallas awarded the visitors a penalty just before the break when Richie Byrne
pulled down Nish but Esson produced a brilliant save to keep Boyd's strike out.
The game slumped back into a desperately poor spectacle after the burst of
excitement just before the interval.
But Aberdeen went close in the 52nd minute when Hart let fly with a fierce
right-foot shot which was deflected just past the upright.
Fowler then saved Kilmarnock by racing back to clear the ball from under his
crossbar after Stewart had pulled the ball across the face of goal.
The home side retaliated by getting a sight of goal themselves but McDonald
blazed wide from 15 yards before Severin fired over at the other end.
Invincibile could have breathed life into the afternoon but he dragged his
left-foot effort wide from Hay's cross.
The home side breathed a sigh of relief in the 71st minute when Severin's shot
looped off Lilley over Smith but the ball went wide of the post.
Calderwood brought Steven Craig on for Stewart and he would have made a
stunning introduction but Smith sprinted off his line to save his shot.
Moments later, he decided to bring Richard Foster on for Jamie Winter and
Jefferies made a double change with Craig Dargo and Naismith coming on for Nish
and Boyd.
Craig did more in the short time he was on than most of the other players
during the 90 minutes and he was denied a brilliant opener as Smith pushed his
right-foot shot away.
But defender McNaughton took it upon himself to become the match-winner as he
ran 15 yards before curling a left-foot strike past the keeper and into the
corner of the net to send the travelling supporters away smiling.
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