Kilmarnock 2 PARS 0

ATHLETIC suffered a blow to their Championship survival hopes as league leaders Kilmarnock secured a deserved win this afternoon.

Goals either side of the break from Kyle Lafferty and Oli Shaw proved the difference for Killie, who would have been more convincing winners had it not been for an inspired performance from Pars keeper Jakub Stolarczyk.

Time after time he thwarted the hosts, who stay four points clear at the top, as a dominant Killie didn't allow Dunfermline to gain any sort of foothold in the game, or the chance to build on Wednesday's Fife derby win.

Lafferty gave the visitors a deserved lead in the first half with his seventh goal since returning to Killie in January, which came after Stolarczyk had made two fine saves, and Brad Lyons struck the crossbar.

Dunfermline never got going - whether it was a result of their efforts against Raith Rovers midweek, a fine home performance that was front-foot from minute one, or both - and they had to rely on heroics from Stolarczyk to keep them in the game after half-time.

However, with 14 minutes left, the keeper was finally beaten for a second time thanks to Shaw's header, condemning Pars to defeat and keeping Derek McInnes' side top of the table.

However, there was a turning point early in the second half when Efe Ambrose, having connected with Ryan Dow's corner, had his shirt pulled by a home defender - but no penalty was awarded.

It looked a wrong call from the match officials and, whilst Kilmarnock were the better side throughout, it could have turned the game more in the away side's favour.

As it is, Dunfermline are now three points behind Ayr - who they play in a huge match next week - after they fought back from two goals down to draw with Inverness.

The visitors made one changed, which was enforced, from the team that defeated Raith Rovers on Wednesday night.

Liam Polworth, who is on loan from Kilmarnock, was ineligible to face his parent club, so he dropped out, with Ryan Dow coming in in a straight swap, playing in a three alongside Steven Lawless and Dom Thomas, in behind lone striker, and derby goalscoring hero, Kevin O'Hara.

For the hosts, Fraser Murray, who spent time on loan at East End last season, started, as did Dalgety Bay native, Blair Alston.

Former Athletic skipper, Euan Murray, and another ex-loanee, Dan Armstrong, were both on the bench.

Having closed the gap on eighth-placed Ayr United to two points midweek - as well as moving six points clear of bottom side, Queen of the South, who lost to Partick Thistle last night - the incentive was clear for Dunfermline, with the Honest Men visiting West Fife next weekend.

There was plenty at stake for Killie, too, who went into the game with a four point lead over Arbroath at the top of the table as they seek to make an instant return to the top flight.

And they were quickly on the offensive, with Alston having the game's first effort with a fine strike from long range, which needed Stolarczyk's intervention to push the ball over to stop him finding the top corner.

Shaw was next to have a go, flashing a shot comfortably enough wide of goal after Lafferty deftly flicked the ball back into his path at the edge of the box, before the Pars soon had a huge escape.

Murray clipped a lovely ball over from the right to find the head of Lafferty, who was denied by a full-length stop by Stolarczyk.

The keeper did well to claw the ball away from his right-hand post but, as the ball fell to Lyons, he was unfortunate to lash an effort, from a tight angle, off the face of the crossbar.

The opening 20 minutes were dominated by Kilmarnock, with the Pars struggling to get on the ball and out of their own half, but they did have an effort on goal through O'Hara, who sent a first-time effort wide from Lawless' centre.

Thomas, who joined Dunfermline from Killie, tried his luck with a curler from the edge of the area, which was comfortably dealt with by home keeper Hemming, but it was the hosts who deservedly took a 26th minute lead.

Hughes will likely question his side's defending as, following a driving run by Lyons to find Alston, the former Falkirk midfielder clipped a lovely ball to the back post to find Lafferty.

The Northern Ireland international was completely unmarked, six yards out, and he made no mistake with a first-time finish under Stolarczyk for his third goal in his last two games against the Pars.

That goal raised the atmosphere amongst the home support, and Killie continued to dominate, with Lafferty having a free-kick deflected over the bar, and Ash Taylor having a shot saved by Stolarczyk after a free-kick caused problems in the Athletic penalty box.

Dunfermline will have been relieved to get in at the break just one goal behind, and would likely have been cheered by news that Ayr United trailed 2-0 at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

They did, however, have a strong claim for a penalty waved away by Steven Kirkland early in the second half.

Dow played a corner into the box, which Efe Ambrose met with his head, but a Killie defender had an armful of his shirt - but the man in the middle wasn't interested, despite strong protests from the visitors, which led to a booking for Lawless.

At the other end, Lyons shot over before a decent opportunity presented itself for Shaw but, fortunately for Dunfermline, Stolarczyk was equal to it.

Lafferty came close moments later when he saw an effort from the edge of the box go narrowly wide of the post, before they somehow failed to score a second shortly afterwards.

Lafferty clipped a lovely ball forward into the box, looking for Shaw, that Stolarczyk couldn't come for.

The Killie man missed the initial ball, with the Pars keeper blocking, but somehow the Polish under-21 international managed to spring into action and save from the rebound when you'd have put your house on Shaw scoring.

Stolarczyk was certainly earning his money, leaping to his right to prevent Stephen McGinn finding the top corner from the edge of the box, and then pulled off another top class stop to deny Shaw, who controlled a ball into the box and thumped a fine effort towards goal.

It was incredible that the clock ticked into the final 15 minutes with only one goal separating the sides, but Kilmarnock put that right in the 76th minute.

It was a disappointing one, too, as Murray's corner was met by Shaw, who reacted quicker than the Pars defence to plant a good header beyond the helpless Stolarczyk.

It was no more than the hosts deserved as they remain on course for the title and Premiership football - leaving the Pars, who saw a stoppage time effort from sub Bobby Kamwa saved, still facing a huge battle to preserve their second tier status.

Match stats

Kilmarnock: Hemming, Hodson (Sanders 72), Stokes, Taylor, Campbell (Armstrong 89), F.Murray (Burke 87), McGinn (McGowan 87), Lyons, Alston, Shaw, Lafferty (Burrell 89).

Subs not used: E. Murray, Walker, Naismith, MacKay.

Goals: Lafferty (26), Shaw (76).

Booked: Lyons (47), Alston (73).

Pars: Stolarczyk, Todd, Ambrose, Donaldson, Edwards, Pybus (Comrie 59), Chalmers (Breen 69), Lawless (McCann 59), Dow, Thomas (Kamwa 69), O'Hara (Todorov 65).

Subs: Martin, Jones, Cole, Mehmet.

Booked: Lawless (49).

Referee: Steven Kirkland.

Attendance: 5,013 (419 away).