Ayr United 1-3 Kilmarnock: Derek McInnes' side top Scottish Championship after whirlwind start
- Published
Oli Shaw scored Kilmarnock's second goal in the Ayrshire derby
Kilmarnock leapfrog Arbroath at the top of the Scottish Championship thanks to a whirlwind start that set up a thrilling derby win away to Ayr United.
Rory McKenzie fired the visitors into a second-minute lead, Oli Shaw slotted another and Jack Sanders headed the third, all within 16 minutes.
Ayr defender Markus Fjortoft was sent off moments after coming on as a sub.
Kerr McInroy slotted a reply before the break, but the home side's improvement in the second half came too late.
Derek McInnes' side move two points above Arbroath, who travel to face Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday.
Lee Bullen's Ayr remain sixth, seven points adrift of Raith Rovers and six ahead of Queen of the South in the relegation play-off spot.
Ayr United manager Lee Bullen: "They blew us away in the first 20 minutes. We started really slowly and they just had too much for us in that period.
"Going a man down, it is almost damage limitation at that point and it could have been anything, but credit to the boys, for 75 minutes we were excellent and matched them in the second half, but it is a defeat in a derby."
Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes: "We were very good and deserved to win clearly. We started the game excellently and the quality of the goals was outstanding. We had a couple of chances to make it four.
"I'd like to have scored a few more goals, but I'd have taken this at the start of the game."