Kilmarnock3Heffernan pen 32, 45; Kroca 62 Dunfermline2J Thomson 15; R Thomson 49

Few would have grudged the home side all three points, although the visitors were guilty of missing opportunities at crucial moments.

“We lost four to Motherwell so we need to tighten up as a team,” said Dunfermline manager Jim McIntyre. “We know we have players who can score but we need to cut out individual errors.”

The style of play adopted by both managers ensured that this would be an open contest with gilt-edged opportunities occurring at either end inside the opening four minutes.

The visitors took the lead in just 15 minutes. Joe Cardle’s corner was headed on to the bar by Andy Kirk and, although Alex Pursehouse was on the line to keep out Alex Keddie’s effort from the rebound his clearance struck Jason Thomson and ricoched into the net.

Kilmarnock enjoyed plenty of possession but failed to convert, although Dean Shiels may have had his legs taken from him by Craig Easton just as he as about to pull the trigger. Referee Brian Winter, turned a deaf ear to the appeals but he was on much surer ground in the 19th minute when he refused to award Heffernan a penalty when he was guilty of simulation. Dunfermline manager Jim McIntyre clearly had an opinion about that but would have been better keeping it to himself because he was ordered to the stand by the match official.

“I had a bottle in my hand and when a decision didn’t go our way I threw it to the ground in frustration,” he said.

“That was my own fault and I apologised to the fourth official afterwards.”

A beautifully disguised reverse pass from Gary Mason then left Kirk one-on-one with Bell but he delayed his shot and Rory McKeown kept Killie in it with a superbly timed blocking tackle.

Kilmarnock restored parity from the penalty spot and McIntyre could not have argued about the award. James Dayton’s driven cross was blocked by Keddie but the winger was first to reach the loose ball.

The defender’s momentum carried him into his opponent and Mr Winter whistled immediately. Heffernan converted with aplomb, sending Paul Gallacher the wrong way. Killie then took the lead on the stroke of half-time when Shiels played in Heffernan, who rode a challenge from Keddie before clipping the ball behind the advancing Gallacher.

McIntyre made an inspired substitution at the break, sending on young Ryan Thomson for the veteran Easton and the new boy made an immediate impression by heading home a Cardle cross from point-blank range.

There was little danger that the scoring would end there, however, and the home side restored their advantage with another sublime finish.

On this occasion the unlikely hero was Czech defender Zdenek Kroca, who curled a left-foot shot into the far corner from 15 yards after being teed up by Liam Kelly. Gallacher was helpless on that occasion but he kept his side’s hopes alive with crucial saves from Kelly and Dayton as Killie sought a two-goal cushion.

At the other end Bell could only push Kirk’s venomous drive into the air but Manuel Pascali’s overhead kick cleared the danger in some style.

Killie manager Kenny Shiels said: “Our performance was mixed but the outcome was good. It was important to pull away from the teams at the bottom, which is where you guys said we’d end up.

“On the ball we were quite good but when we didn’t have possession there were things I wasn’t so happy with.

“It must have been great for the fans, though.”