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By Thomas McGuigan
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 Manuel Pascali seized on poor defending to head Kilmarnock in front
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Manuel Pascali and Allan Russell were on target as Kilmarnock secured victory over misfiring Motherwell at Fir Park.
The hosts spurned three great chances through strikers Chris Porter and John Sutton in a lively opening spell.
Kilmarnock took the lead in 35 minutes when Pascali rose unchallenged to head home Gavin Skelton's corner.
Porter was denied by two brilliant Alan Combe saves after the break and Russell sealed victory for Killie with a superb low drive in the 77th minute.
Kilmarnock started the brighter of the two sides, but it was the hosts who should have opened the scoring.
Porter sent a shot just over after seven minutes when he worked a neat one-two with striking partner Sutton.
Porter was denied a second time when Garry Hay blocked the English striker as he raced through on goal and Hay kept a cool head to clear the danger.
Moments later Sutton failed to find the target when he blazed over after beating Combe to the ball in a chase inside the area.
Kilmarnock were forced into a change just after the half-hour mark when Danny Invincible was stretchered off for what appeared to be concussion and was replaced by Iain Flannigan.
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MY SPORT: DEBATE
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The visitors made Well pay for their profligacy moments later when they seized on poor defending to take the lead.
Donovan Simmonds spun Mark Reynolds and his goal-bound shot was deflected for a corner by Steven Saunders.
Skelton then sent in a teasing corner and Pascali rose unchallenged to bullet a header past the helpless Smith.
Well pressed for an equaliser before half time and Stevie Hammell tested Combe from distance but the Kilmarnock keeper dealt comfortably with his 25-yard strike.
Skelton almost doubled Kilmarnock's lead after 51 minutes, but Smith reacted superbly to palm away his thunderous volley.
Motherwell laid siege to the Kilmarnock goal as the game wore on, but found goalkeeper Combe in superb form.
He reacted brilliantly to tip Porter's flashing drive onto the bar and then denied the same player with a save with his feet after 66 minutes.
Combe's acrobatics and Motherwell's lack of a cutting edge subdued the home fans as Kilmarnock looked content to soak up the pressure and hit Mark McGhee's side on the break.
The visitors ensured they would be taking maximum points back to Ayrshire with a cracking second goal 13 minutes before full-time.
Motherwell captain Mark Reynolds headed clear, but Flannigan lofted a pass towards Russell on the right-hand side just outside the box.
The former Airdrie forward steadied himself before arrowing a fierce drive low past Smith into the corner of the net.
Victory saw Kilmarnock strengthen their grip on seventh spot in the SPL and move to within two points of Aberdeen.
Motherwell: Graeme Smith, Saunders, Klimpl, Reynolds, Hammell, Lasley, Malcolm (O'Brien 64), McGarry (Darren Smith 82), Hughes, Porter, Sutton (Murphy 55). Subs Not Used: Nielsen, Fitzpatrick, McHugh, Hutchinson.
Kilmarnock: Combe, Fowler, Murray, Wright, Hay, Invincibile (Flannigan 31), Pascali, Hamill, Skelton, Simmonds, Russell (Sammon 86). Subs Not Used: Rascle, Locke, Corrigan, Clancy, Nolan.
Booked: Murray.
Goals: Pascali 35, Russell 77.
Att: 3,339
Ref: M Tumilty
BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Kilmarnock's Allan Russell 7.75 (on 90 minutes).
Please note that you can still give the players marks out of 10 on BBC Sport's Player Rater after the match has finished.
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