Ross County 2 Kilmarnock 0

Liam Boyce's double eased Ross County to a deserved three points against Kilmarnock in a scrappy Ladbrokes Premiership game at the Global Energy Stadium.

Boyce followed up his hat-trick in the Highland derby win last week with a clinical double in a 2-0 win against a Kilmarnock side who lacked a killer touch in front of goal.

Boyce was back to his best, taking his tally to five in two games in a County team that had no failures in it.

County forced a corner after just 20 seconds but Martin Woods' kick was headed well over by Jay McEveley.

Kilmarnock threatened in the ninth minute when George Green flashed a ball across the six-yard line but McEveley knocked the ball behind for a corner.

McEveley was in action at the other end in the 14th minute when the ball fell to the big defender just outside the area but his shot was just wide of Jamie McDonald's right-hand post.

It was scrappy but the visitors looked threatening in spells and County skipper Paul Quinn made three timely interventions to halt Kilmarnock attacks.

But it was County who broke the deadlock in the 29th minute when Boyce scored after he played Michael Gardyne into space inside the area and his cut-back kindly for the Irishman who lashed his shot from eight yards into the net.

Kilmarnock were forced to make an early substitution when Miles Addison was replaced in the heart of the defence by Jonathan Burn.

County had the first real chance of the second half when Craig Curran set Jonathan Franks free down the right and his cross fell for Gardyne who scuffed his shot wide.

The home side were dictating the pace of the game and they deservedly doubled their lead in the 74th minute when Alex Schalk, not long off the bench, raced on to a long ball from Woods and his cut-back was swept into the net at the second attempt by Boyce.

Boyce almost notched a second hat-trick in as many weeks but with only McDonald to beat he blasted his shot high and wide.

It was one-way traffic towards the Kilmarnock goal.

County threw youngsters Tony Dingwall and Greg Morrison on for the last few minutes as they comfortably saw out the game