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Livingston 1-4 Kilmarnock: Joe Hugill scores twice as Neil McCann's side run riot against relegated Livi

  /  autty

Kilmarnock finished their late-season scoring streak in style with a 4-1 victory at relegated Livingston.

After netting three goals in each of their last three William Hill Premiership matches, Neil McCann's men eased to success in West Lothian.

While Livingston, with two wins all season, went down with a whimper, Killie rounded off the campaign with four victories in a row - a feat the club had not achieved since the heady days of the Steve Clarke era in 2018.

Killie responded emphatically after Stevie May's third goal of the season had put the hosts, with interim Scott Arfield in charge, ahead on 20 minutes.

Fresh from the double strike that confirmed Premiership status against Dundee in midweek, Joe Hugill equalised, with the visitors then taking a 2-1 lead in at half-time thanks to Nicky Clescenco's first goal for the club.

A fourth goal in three games from Findlay Curtis and another from Hugill completed the rout after the interval.

Kilmarnock went direct to fashion the first major chance on 14 minutes. Goalkeeper Max Stryjek's long kick to the right found Michael Schjonning-Larsen, who chopped inside Barrie McKay to create plenty of shooting scope but his top-corner aim was inches too high.

The finishing at the other end was lethal soon after as Livingston seized the lead. Tom Lowery was robbed deep in his own territory by Robbie Muirhead and he laid off to winger McKay, who laced a pass through for May to drill a deadly low shot into the bottom corner.

Kilmarnock wasted little time hitting back, with Dominic Thompson's terrific near-post delivery from the left met by on-form Hugill.

The striker did not get the cleanest touch from six yards, but it was enough to wrong-foot and beat Jerome Prior.

Eleven minutes before the break, Livi were easily carved open once again.

Emmanuel Danso was swiftly punished for dwelling on the ball by Greg Kiltie, who teed up Clescenco. The winger was not closed down and allowed to drift inside to pick his spot, curling a right-footed effort beyond Prior's reach.

The third Killie goal was spawned from a stunning piece of Clescenco skill. The Moldova international's dragback and turn opened up the defence down the left and Thompson delivered for Rangers loan star Curtis to sweep in off Brooklyn Kabongolo on 53 minutes.

A trio of substitutions failed to make the hosts any more durable.

They were beaten by a simple ball from Robbie Deas up the middle to Hugill, who wriggled free to go one on one against Prior and tuck in a confident finish.

The scoring was done before the hour but only thanks to superb, almost identical stops by Stryjek to deny May and then substitute Sam Culbert late on.

Kilmarnock finished comfortably in 10th place, denied ninth spot by a late Dundee winner at home to Aberdeen.

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