Kilmarnock 1-2 Dundee (agg 2-4): Dundee relegate Kilmarnock, earn promotion

Dundee stunned Kilmarnock with two early goals to ensure a return to the Scottish Premiership and relegate the Ayrshire side after a 28-year stay in an emphatic play-off final triumph.

James McPake's side arrived at Rugby Park with a 2-1 lead and were two up within 12 minutes through Danny Mullen and Lee Ashcroft.

Kyle Lafferty netted a penalty for the hosts, but it was not enough to stop their first relegation since 1983 as Championship runners-up Dundee returned to the top flight after two years.

• Reaction & as it happened

• McPake wants Dundee to emulate Killie's top-flight longevity

• There will be a clear out - Wright

Kilmarnock started aggressively on the front foot but it was from one of their attacks that Dundee scored.

Paul McMullan led the counter charge as Mullen and Jordan McGhee occupied the retreating two-man defence and a slipped pass to Mullen left the striker clear to finish.

Danny Mullen extended Dundee's aggregate advantage to 3-1

The home side, playing in front of 500 fans, were shocked and their evening got worse as Ashcroft rose unchallenged to power home from McGowan's teasing delivery.

BBC Radio Scotland pundit Neil McCann described the goal as "too easy" and it epitomised how Kilmarnock had crumbled in the opening 12 minutes.

Tommy Wright, who took charge in February, acted by throwing Danny Whitehall on in place of Brandon Haunstrup, meaning Mitch Pinnock dropped back to a left wing-back role.

And Pinnock was caught out when McMullan twisted and turned to cross for McGhee, whose header smacked the crossbar. McGowan tried to force in the rebound and claimed unsuccessfully for a handball against Rory McKenzie.

Dundee's hunger and ability to find space continued into the second half, with McGhee crossing for McGowan to head wide.

The final 20 minutes was reframed after McKenzie chased a long ball and was fouled by goalkeeper Adam Legzdins, Lafferty thrashing in the spot-kick to score his 13th goal in 13 games for Killie.

Suddenly there was urgency to Kilmarnock's play but accuracy abandoned them when delivering balls into Dundee territory and McPake's side saw out a deserved win.

Man of the match - Paul McGowan

Charlie Adam has received most of Dundee's plaudits this season but McGowan (left) showed he too is still a man for the big occasion

What does result mean for both clubs?

Finishing third in the Premiership as recently as 2019, Kilmarnock have struggled to find consistency in the aftermath of Steve Clarke's departure to the Scotland job that same year.

Since Tommy Burns brought the Ayrshire side up to the top flight in 1993, Killie have frequently defied the odds with regular wins over Scotland's big city clubs, not to mention a Scottish Cup win in 1997 and a League Cup triumph in 2012.

Now, an arduous rebuild beckons with 23 players soon to be out of contract as they attempt to emulate Hearts and bounce straight back next season.

Kilmarnock enjoyed nearly three decades in the top flight

McPake took over as Dundee manager near the end of the season in which they got relegated. He was denied the chance of competing for promotion last term with no play-offs in the wake of a curtailed league season as the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

The 2020-21 campaign has been one of inconsistency for the Dark Blues but they found form at the right time to ease past both Raith and Killie. Renewed rivalries with Tayside clubs Dundee United and St Johnstone are just part of the reward for promotion.

And Dundee are just the third second-tier side to win the Premiership play-off final since its introduction in season 2013-14.

What did they say?

Kilmarnock manager Tommy Wright: "We haven't deserved it over the two games. And more important going forward, we haven't deserved it over the season. We haven't done the basics well in my time here. We've had far too many defeats.

"It's a crying shame for the club and the town. It shouldn't have got to this. I'll still this take as my responsibility because ultimately it was my team that went down, irrespective I've only been here a short time."

Dundee midfielder Charlie Adam: "It means everything. It's a club I supported as a kid. I don't think it was in danger over the two legs. I thought we were excellent.

"I'm going to enjoy this as this is as big as it gets for me. It's a great league. I'll delighted if we can get Rangers and Dundee United in the first two games."

Dundee managing director John Nelms: "These boys worked so hard throughout the year, through thick and thin. This is where we thought we would be and the goal this year was to get promoted and here we are.

"The next step is we take a breath and then we see what we need to do because we have big aspirations. We don't want to just be staying in the league. We want to be up there with the big boys."

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