Kilmarnock 2-3 Hamilton Academical

Hamilton came from a goal down to win at Rugby Park and drag Kilmarnock closer to the relegation play-off spot.

Lee Ashcroft headed Kilmarnock in front from Alexei Eremenko's cross as they tried to avert a sixth straight defeat.

But Accies fought back, first through Jason Scotland after goalkeeper Craig Samson spilled a Louis Longridge shot.

Michael McGovern saved from Killie's Josh Magennis before Darian MacKinnon and Nigel Hasselbaink scored for Accies ahead of Greg Kiltie's late strike.

Hamilton started positively having been boosted by their win over Lanarkshire rivals Motherwell last time out.

In the opening seconds Manuel Pascali was forced to concede a corner and, from the resultant kick, Chris Johnston was on hand to clear for the home team.

But in the eighth minute it was Killie who were to benefit from their first corner of the match.

Nigel Hasselbaink and Kilmarnock's Lee Ashcroft clash

Eremenko swung the ball in from the right and Ashcroft rose highest to put Killie in front with a powerful header from six yards.

Eremenko then produced a delightful piece of skill to put the ball in the net again a minute later but the Finnish international was flagged offside.

Just beyond the midpoint of the first half, Accies pulled level. Longridge's shot from the edge of the penalty area was only parried by Samson and Scotland reacted quickly to fire home the rebound.

Magennis had a chance to put Killie back in front when he was clean through but the Accies goalkeeper McGovern advanced to make a fine save.

At the other end Longridge again tested Samson with a right-foot strike. This time the Killie keeper turned the shot round his left-hand post.

Too often Longridge was not being picked up by the Killie defence and he again found space to strike a volley which Samson flicked away at his right-hand post.

Referee Steven McLean, in charge of his first match since the Josh Meekings controversy in the Scottish Cup semi-final, had another hand-ball penalty appeal to deal with.

Darian MacKinnon wheels away after scoring for Hamilton

Magennis tried to chest the ball into the path of Johnston but it came off the hand of Mikey Devlin, who was just a yard away. However, McLean ignored the Killie appeals.

Scotland had another opportunity for Accies just before the interval when Longridge again created the opening 18 yards out with a neat pass but the striker blasted high over.

Dougie Imrie came close to giving Accies an early advantage in the second half. Cutting in from the right the winger eluded two challenges before driving a left-foot strike which was pushed away for a corner by Samson.

Accies took the lead through MacKinnon after a flowing move involving Crawford and Longridge. The latter's cross was only cleared as far as MacKinnon who blasted low into the corner of the net from 19 yards.

Their third goal was controversial as substitute Hasselbaink, only on the pitch three minutes, looked suspiciously offside as he got the merest of touches to a Crawford ball into the box as Samson failed to block.

It was then the turn of Killie substitute Kiltie to get on the scoresheet with his first goal for the club to get them back in the game.

The match ended with numerous players from both sides in a scuffle after Hasselbaink and Ashcroft clashed and the instigators were lucky not to be red carded.

Ashcroft seemed to punch the Accies player in the stomach while Hasselbaink reacted with what looked like a head butt.

Referee McLean decided a yellow card for both was sufficient.

Kilmarnock's Lee Ashcroft celebrates putting his team in front

Darian MacKinnon strikes to put Hamilton Accies in front at Rugby Park