Kyle Lafferty notched his second successive brace as Kilmarnock swept Raith Rovers aside 3-0 at Rugby Park.
Stephen McGinn opened the scoring after five minutes, before the ex-Rangers and Hearts star rippled the net either side of the break.
Lafferty’s clinical performance follows hot on the heels of his match-winning double against Dunfermline last weekend.
With five goals in six appearances, the languid front-man is proving the difference-maker many predicted he would be.
Rovers’ recent statistics, meanwhile, are rather less heartening.
This was a ninth match in the Championship without victory for John McGlynn’s men. It is a run which stretches back to December 11 when they, ironically, beat Kilmarnock.
The Kirkcaldy club remain in the final promotion playoff place, albeit largely due to the four games in hand possessed by fifth-placed Partick Thistle.
It increasingly looks like a shoot-out between Raith and the similarly toiling Inverness — also without a victory in nine outings — for fourth spot.
Nightmare start
Raith Rovers were boosted by the return of Christophe Berra after recovering from a calf strain.
But, without injured captain Kyle Benedictus, Liam Dick was deployed in the unfamiliar role of left-sided centre-half. Sean Mackie made his first start for the club since joining on loan from Hibernian.
Enduring a grim winless streak and with a makeshift back-line, Rovers needed a solid start.
Instead, they were two goals down within 13 minutes.
Killie broke the deadlock when veteran midfielder McGinn turned home from close-range, reacting with predatory instincts after a Lafferty header struck the crossbar.
Raith were looking to Mackie and Reghan Tumilty — both attacking adventurously — to provide the offensive threat from wide. However, that was ripe for Killie counters.
So it proved, as the hosts doubled their advantage.
A swift break saw Fraser Murray scamper into acres of space between Tumilty and Frankie Musonda. His cut-back found Lafferty, who lashed home, albeit via a notable deflection off Mackie.
Rovers stemmed the bleeding for the remainder of the half but did not dirty the gloves of Killie custodian Zach Hemming.
Rovers pressure
Ethon Varian, Aidan Connolly and Dario Zanatta were introduced at the break as McGlynn sought to spark a comeback by switching to a 4-3-3.
Mackie, Jamie Gullan and Ben Williamson were withdrawn.
A towering Berra header struck the outside of the post as Rovers made a bright start to the second period. Ethan Ross also curled a shot inches past the post.
However, Raith’s endeavours counted for nothing when Killie made it 3-0 just after the hour-mark.
It was a case of deja vu as Fraser Murray once again found Lafferty with a wonderful low delivery, allowing the Northern Ireland marksman to slot home from 16 yards. Game over.
Rovers, to their credit, didn’t throw in the towel and Hemming made two super saves to thwart efforts by Sam Stanton and Zanatta.
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