Dundee United’s winning away days came to an end as they were thumped 4-0 by Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
The Tangerines had won at both Motherwell and Ross County but they fell well short of an on-the-road hat-trick.
Goals from Nicke Kabamba and Eamonn Brophy gave the hosts the lead at the break, with the second one coming in first-half stoppage-time.
A defensive disaster from Mark Connolly cost United a third on 79 minutes when he dithered and lost possession to Kabamba, who then produced a cool finish.
Killie sub Rory McKenzie then scored the pick of the bunch four minutes from time when he chipped keeper Benjamin Siegrist to make it four.
The Tangerines had named the same team that lost narrowly to Celtic a week earlier.
That, of course, meant no sign of striker Lawrence Shankland, with his ankle injury ruling him out of even a substitute’s role as well as the Scotland squad.
The last time these sides met in a competitive clash was the 4-2 victory in Ayrshire for United before they dropped down to the Championship in 2016.
With seven minutes gone, the visitors nearly took the lead when a mistake by Paul Dicker allowed Logan Chalmers to latch on to a terrific long pass from Jamie Robson. He tried to lob the advancing keeper Danny Rogers but Killie got back to defend.
Siegrist did well to get his body behind a Chris Burke low drive after a slip by Robson before a Luke Bolton comeback was blocked after he raced down the right.
There was a scare for the visitors when Siegrist clashed with Kabamba as the keeper came out to punch the ball. The Swiss fell to the floor but got the freekick in his favour.
A great break by United on 21 minutes saw Bolton take a pass from Ian Harkes and cross from the right for Chalmers at the back post, who headed wide from a tight angle.
Killie, who lost centre-half Stuart Findlay to injury, took the lead with half-an-hour gone.
It was a simple goal from the hosts, with Calum Waters swinging a cross over from near the left corner flag and Kabamba was there to head home from close range.
United tried to hit back quickly when Bolton crossed and Nicky Clark connected well with his boot but the volley was wide of the target.
The Tangerines were seeing plenty of the ball, especially up Bolton’s wing, but they had yet to work Kilmarnock keeper Danny Rogers and Clark glanced a header past three minutes before the break.
United missed the target again just seconds later when Connolly, up for a Peter Pawlett freekick, sent his header wide. It was a golden chance and the defender should have hit the target.
They were punished for that miss when, in first-half stoppage-time, Greg Kiltie head-flicked on to Brophy inside the box and his low shot made it inside the far post past Siegrist to make it 2-0.
The Tannadice men made a change at the interval, with Louis Appere coming on for Pawlett.
Two minutes after the restart, United’s Calum Butcher drove a low, 20-yard shot that had to be pushed past by Rogers. Connolly, who was appealing for a penalty after falling to the deck, picked himself up to fire the ball over.
After good work by Butcher, Clark blasted over on 49 minutes as the visitors started the second period well.
Butcher was the centre of everything and it was his strike that was deflected for a corner as the Tangerines pressed.
Siegrist had to come to the rescue, though, on 63 minutes when he finger-tipped Kabamba’s strike away for a corner.
United had a claim for a penalty when the ball struck Kirk Broadfoot but it was waved away.
Siegrist saved Brophy’s shot before the Tangerines brought on Paul McMullan for Neilson, with Bolton going to right-back.
However, it all went wrong for United when Connolly’s blunder let in Kabamba, who took his time before placing his shot past Siegrist.
Wiht four minutes to go, Kilie sub McKenzie then chipped a brilliant fourth goal over Siegrist’s head to make it a totally miserable afternoon for United.
Kilmarnock: Rogers, Rossi, Broadfoot, Findlay (Dikamona 29), Waters (Haunstrup 83), Tshibola (Mulumbu 83), Dicker, Kiltie, Burke (Pinnock 83), Brophy (McKenzie 76), Kabamba, Doyle. Subs not used: McGowan, Whitehall, Cameron.
Dundee United: Siegrist, Reynolds, Connolly, Pawlett (Appere 46), Clark, Chalmers, Robson, Butcher, Bolton, Harkes, Neilson (McMullan 73). Subs not used: Deniz, Sporle, Powers, C. Smith, Edwards, Glass, Freeman.
Referee: David Munro.
