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Kilmarnock threw away their chance to clinch a top-six finish as they fell to defeat at the hands of Scottish Premier League's bottom side, Dundee.

Former Killie player Gary Harkins opened the scoring with a composed finish as Dundee dominated early on.

Kilmarnock were poor but did draw level through Kris Boyd, only for Harkins to grab his second with a powerful strike.

Kenny Shiels' men failed to live up to the expectations of the home supporters, who booed at the whistle.

The Ayrshire side slip seventh and are replaced in the top half of the table by Dundee United, with the division splitting in two for the final five fixtures of the season.

It could all have been so different had Boyd not passed up a decent early chance to settle Killie nerves, the striker diverting a Garry Hay corner onto Steve Simonsen's right-hand post.

And moments later, Harkins, who had been on the receiving end of some of the home fans' taunts, produced the ideal response as he ran onto a John Baird pass before slotting coolly past Cammy Bell.

Harkins was causing havoc in the home defence and might have had a penalty when Momo Sissoko bundled him to the ground, though referee Iain Brines thought otherwise.

Boyd belied his predatory reputation by volleying wide with only the keeper to beat, but still Dundee looked the likelier side to add to the scoreline as Baird prodded a shot goalwards, only for Bell to stop it on the line.

For all that was at stake for Kilmarnock, they were distinctly lacking in attacking ingenuity and Simonsen was largely untroubled in the Dundee goal.

But the hosts put that right with 17 minutes remaining when Boyd pulled down a William Gros cross and fired past the Dundee keeper to level.

No sooner had Boyd scored though than Harkins restored Dundee's lead, smashing past Bell having controlled Lewis Toshney's delivery from the right.

Rabiu Ibrahim, on as a late substitute, produced a good save from Simonsen with a flashing header and Kilmarnock, with Dundee United's late winner agaisnt Aberdeen, were resigned to a bottom-six finish.

John Brown's Dundee reduce their deficit to 13 points but survival remains unlikely.