Motherwell 0 Kilmarnock 2

Caretaker manager Lee McCulloch led Kilmarnock out of the Premiership relegation play-off place thanks to a well-deserved 2-0 victory at Fir Park. Greg Kiltie and Craig Slater scored in five second-half minutes to consign Motherwell to 11th spot as the Lanarkshire side's search for a 2016 league victory went on. McCulloch has shown no desire to succeed Gary Locke on a permanent basis, but his team again looked well-drilled and were lively in attack as he added victory over first club Motherwell to a draw against previous club Rangers. Motherwell manager Mark McGhee again started with top goalscorer Louis Moult on the bench after defending his tactics in the wake of the previous weekend's cup defeat by Inverness. Lionel Ainsworth replaced Keith Lasley in a 4-1-4-1 formation, but Killie carried far greater threat in the first half, their 4-4-2 set-up proving fluid enough to cause Motherwell a host of problems. Moult came on at half-time as McGhee reverted to a 4-4-2, but the improvement was short-lived as Killie took control before the hour mark. Kiltie threatened early with a shot that deflected just wide and Connor Ripley stopped Tope Obadeyi's shot after Morgaro Gomis had lost possession on the edge of his box. Ripley dived at full stretch to touch away well-hit free-kicks by Slater and Steven Smith after the visitors' front pair of Kiltie and Josh Magennis had been halted in dangerous positions. Ripley also pulled off an excellent stop from a Magennis header, although Kiltie was immediately penalised for an infringement. The Motherwell goalkeeper made more routine saves from Rory McKenzie and Obadeyi, and Gomis put in an important challenge on the former as Kilmarnock's movement continued to trouble their hosts. Motherwell lacked creativity and a series of poor set-piece deliveries further blunted their attack. Moult replaced Ainsworth at the break and got his team's first effort on target within 60 seconds just after winning the ball himself. Stephen McManus then headed just over the Kilmarnock goal and both Obadeyi and Gary Dicker were booked for barging down Marvin Johnson as Motherwell continued to look far brighter. But the home fans' optimism did not last. Smith's deep cross from the left set up Kiltie and he knocked the ball home from six yards. And Motherwell were soon exposed again as Slater broke from the halfway line following a Magennis lay-off and decided to go all the way himself, running at the back four before making space to fire into the bottom corner from 18 yards. Dom Thomas came on and looked lively for the hosts, but Slater and Magennis both threatened to add to the lead and Motherwell seemed to lack the belief they could mount a comeback. Moult summed up the home frustration by booting an advertising board just after heading a Thomas cross off the junction of bar and post in injury-time, but they now need to lift themselves for a visit to bottom club Dundee United on Tuesday.