Bullen atones for his penalty miss with the second goal

In the seventh minute, Barry Nicholson's free-kick almost set up Crawford but Chris Innes nipped in to clear with a header back to Gordon Marshall.

Dunfermline almost snatched the lead in the 13th minute when Lee Bullen found himself clear 15 yards from goal but Marshall saved his effort.

Then Ruitenbeek denied McDonald his first goal for Kilmarnock in the 16th minute with a good save.

Gary Mason took advantage of slack marking in the Killie defence to run clear on the right but Marshall dived to snatch the ball as it flew across goal in the 34th minute.

Six minutes before the break, Dindeleux almost gave Killie the lead but his net-bound header from Steve Fulton's cross was flicked over the crossbar by Ruitenbeek.

But, in the 43rd minute, Brewster at last broke the deadlock when he shot low past Marshall from a tight angle.

Killie substitute Stephen Murray almost made an immediate impact with a shot from 25 yards that rose a couple of feet over the Dunfermline crossbar just after half time.

Crawford then forced a good save from Marshall with a shot from 15 yards.

Kris Boyd celebrates his equaliser

But Killie got back on level terms in the 49th minute when Greg Shields caught Ruitenbeek off his line to score from distance.

A minute later, Dunfermline were awarded a penalty when Marshall took down Gary Dempsey on the edge of the box.

But the Killie keeper redeemed himself when he pulled off a great save from Bullen's spot-kick.

Bullen made amends a few minutes later, firing past Marshall with the Kilmarnock defence nowhere to be seen.

Jim Jefferies brought on Kris Boyd for Gary McSwegan in an attempt to snatch something from the game and, within three minutes, the substitute scored Killie's equaliser, getting on the end of a Gary Locke corner.

The home side, sensing victory, pushed forward in a bid for the winner and twice Boyd forced saves from Ruitenbeek to deny them the win.

Kilmarnock: Marshall, Innes, McLaughlin, Dindeleux (Murray 45), Shields, Locke, Fulton, McDonald (Quitongo 45), Hay, McSwegan (Boyd 72), Boutal.

Subs not used: Meldrum, Sanjuan.

Booked: Marshall.

Dunfermline: Ruitenbeek, MacPherson, Skerla (Nicholls 67), Scott Wilson, McGroarty, Bullen, Nicholson, Mason, Dempsey (Dair 90), Crawford, Brewster.

Subs not used: Stillie, Kilgannon, Hampshire.

Booked: Scott Wilson, McGroarty.

Att: 5,515

Ref: I Fyfe