Kilmarnock 4 - 1 Hibernian: Sparkling hosts leave Hibs back at square one

IF YOU are going to wait 11 games to record your first win as manager of a club, then you may as well do it as emphatically and impressively as Kenny Shiels did yesterday.

His previous 10 games in charge of Kilmarnock, since the departure of Mixu Paatelainen five months ago, having brought six draws and four defeats, there was both satisfaction and relief for the Ulsterman to take from this stylish and ultimately comprehensive defeat of Hibs.

While Shiels could enjoy his Sunday evening, this was a jolting setback for Colin Calderwood that wiped away any of the promise shown in his team's previous away win at Inverness. The Hibs manager frowned and fretted in the technical area as a lamentable defensive performance gave Kilmarnock all the help they needed for their progressive passing game to prosper.

Having shown initial resilience when Garry O'Connor cancelled out Paul Heffernan's early opener for Kilmarnock, the Easter Road side were gradually overwhelmed by their enterprising hosts. The introduction of three new signings - Junior Agogo, Isaiah Osbourne and Phil Airey - as second-half substitutes brought no improvement for Calderwood. By the end, it had become a capitulation for Hibs who were fortunate not to suffer a heavier defeat.

Initially, both sides contributed in equal measure to a pleasingly open and engaging contest that merited better than the sparse attendance of just over 4,000 inside Rugby Park as supporters of both clubs gave their verdict on the increasingly unpopular early Sunday kick-off times.

Those Hibs supporters who remained motivated enough to rouse themselves for the morning trip to Ayrshire saw O'Connor come close to putting Calderwood's men ahead inside the opening 40 seconds. Seizing on some sleepy defending, the big striker muscled his way into the Kilmarnock penalty area and drove a left foot shot narrowly wide of Cammy Bell's right hand post.

But that instant encouragement soon gave way to deflation for the travelling fans when Kilmarnock took their third-minute lead with a smartly worked and well-taken goal. Zdenek Croca, the home side's new Czech central defender, started the move by finding Rory McKeown on the left. The full-back's through ball was perfectly weighted for Heffernan to race onto and, shrugging off Paul Hanlon's challenge, the striker drove a right foot shot through the legs of advancing Hibs 'keeper Graham Stack from just inside the box.There was no sense of panic in the visiting ranks as they looked to respond to the setback and their approach was rewarded with an equaliser just 10 minutes later. It was a goal that provided a reminder of the ability possessed by O'Connor, which may yet see his recapture by Hibs turn out to be something of a coup. There was still plenty of work for the big striker to do when he received a pass from David Wotherspoon and he did it in some style, forcing his way into the penalty area and lofting a delightful right foot shot over Bell into the corner of the net.

Rather than galvanising Hibs and providing them with some momentum, however, O'Connor's goal sparked a livelier response from Kilmarnock who were the more threatening side for the remainder of the first half and fully deserved to reach the interval with their lead restored.

Heffernan and David Silva both forced Stack into decent saves before the goalkeeper was finally beaten by one of his team-mates four minutes before the break. Liam Kelly's magnificent crossfield pass found James Dayton on the right, the winger bamboozling Callum Booth with some nifty footwork before firing in a low cross, which Paul Hanlon could only divert beyond Stack into his own net.

Calderwood reacted by introducing Osbourne and Agogo at the start of the second half in an attempt to bring greater urgency and increased attacking options to his side. But although former Aston Villa midfielder Osbourne scorned a decent opportunity to make an instant impact, blazing a shot over from Ivan Sproule's cutback, it was Kilmarnock who became increasingly fluent and dominant.

Hibs continued to play a significant role in their own downfall, Wotherspoon cheaply conceding the 65th minute free-kick from which Killie made it 3-1. Wotherspoon clumsily challenged Danny Buijs in a dangerous position just outside the penalty area and Dayton stepped up to curl an unstoppable left-foot effort over the defensive wall and high beyond Stack's left hand into the roof of the net.

It had the look of a mortal blow to Hibs but the home side, now bubbling with confidence, provided them with the additional insurance of a fourth goal regardless just six minutes later. Dayton played a part in it again, linking up with the overlapping Buijs on the right. The Dutchman's low cross picked out the unmarked Heffernan who made no mistake with a firm right foot volley from close range.

It had been a pleasing first starting appearance for Heffernan but he contrived to miss out on a hat-trick when he failed to convert the easiest chance that came his way all afternoon with seven minutes remaining. Hibs, now clearly just longing to hear the final whistle, were carved open at the back once more and Dean Shiels, on as a substitute against his former club, laid the ball on a plate for Heffernan from the right. From no more than six yards in front of an empty goal, Heffernan somehow cracked his shot against the crossbar.It was a small mercy for Hibs on a painful afternoon that exposed their myriad deficiencies, which still pose serious questions of Calderwood's management.

Kilmarnock: (4-5-1) Bell, Buijs, Kroca, O'Leary, McKeown; Dayton (Fowler 82), Kelly, Pascali, Harkins (Shiels 62), Silva (Galan 72); Heffernan. Subs not used: Jaakkola, Clancy, Hay, Fisher.

Hibernian: (4-5-1) Stack, Palsson, Stephens, Hanlon, Booth; Sproule, Murray, Thornhill (Osbourne 46), Stevenson (Agogo 46), Wotherspoon (Airey 72); O'Connor. Subs not used: Brown, De Graaf, Galbraith, Scott.