Kilmarnock 5-1 Partick Thistle

Eamonn Brophy and Kris Boyd hit doubles as Kilmarnock earned their first home league win of the season in some style.

Boyd fired Killie ahead after the Partick Thistle defence failed to clear a cross, but Chris Erskine squared it with a brilliant left-foot effort.

Brophy netted after goalkeeper Tomas Cerny blocked Boyd's free-kick and Niall Keown's own goal made it 3-1.

Brophy nodded in the fourth before Boyd scored from the spot after Jordan Turnbull fouled Kirk Broadfoot.

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Kilmarnock's home form was every bit as poor as Thistle's recent away record going into this encounter. The Ayrshire side had won only twice at Rugby Park in the league in 2017 while Thistle had won only once away in the calendar year.

Kris Boyd got Kilmarnock going with a simple finish after poor defending from Partick Thistle

Killie made a positive start and should have taken the lead as early as the first minute when Brophy fired a left-foot shot on the turn over the bar from three yards.

Youssouf Mulumbu began impressively on his Kilmarnock debut and was instrumental in the home side's opening goal.

The former West Brom midfielder eluded a couple of challenges on the right wing before delivering a low cross that broke kindly for Boyd 10 yards. He made no mistake as he beat Cerny to claim his third goal in his last four appearances against Thistle.

The visitors responded well and and, within four minutes, were back on level terms. Erskine found a yard of space just inside the Killie box and he produced a brilliant strike that flew into the top corner.

It was an open encounter and Killie went back in front from a set piece. Boyd drilled in a free-kick from 25 yards that Cerny could only parry and quickest to react was Brophy to claim his second goal in two games.

Chris Erskine scored a wonderful goal to draw Partick Thistle level

Home goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald denied Blair Spittal an equaliser when he dived low to his right to tip the Thistle forward's 22-yard free-kick round the post.

Kris Doolan fluffed a shot wide when he was clean through, Ryan Edwards fired over from distance and Spittal sent another shot off target as Thistle looked to level.

At the other end, Killie went close to increasing their lead after a good counter-attack led by Gary Dicker. The midfielder surged forward before setting up Brophy inside the Thistle penalty area, but his low shot was blocked by Cerny.

Edwards had an early opportunity for Thistle in the second half, but again his effort from just outside the penalty area rose too high to trouble MacDonald.

On the hour mark, Killie increased their lead courtesy of an own goal. Brophy's driven shot was parried by Cerny and the ball hit the unfortunate Keown and flew into his own net.

Brophy's shot was saved by Cerny but Keown turned it into his own net

Brophy then claimed his second and Killie's fourth of the afternoon when he neatly flicked Kirk Broadfoot's header from a Jones corner into the net from close range.

The scoreline got worse for Thistle when defender Turnbull hauled Broadfoot down a yard off the goal line. Boyd took the spot kick and blasted it past Cerny for his second of the day and Killie's fifth.

The win means Steve Clarke's Killie open up a seven point gap over the Firhill side, who remain bottom of the table.