Kilmarnock are champions with dramatic late comeback win against Arbroath

It came down to the death, but Kilmarnock are champions.

Arbroath led the game until the 79th minute leaving Killie’s title hopes hanging by a thread.

But unlikely scorers Ash Taylor and Blair Alston delivered the goods, with the latter coming in the dying minutes to send Rugby Park into euphoria with a 2-1 win.

They made hard work of it, but with a game to spare Derek McInnes’ side sealed their Scottish Premiership return.

It took just eight minutes for the visitors to hit the net as a Killie corner was countered, Craigen then scuffed an effort into the net.

Killie tried to get themselves back into the match but it was the Lichties who had the best of the chances when Jack Hamilton headed narrowly over just before the half hour mark, and Michael McKenna was close to turning an effort home three minutes before the break.

Killie had it all to do heading into the second half and it was almost an instant reply after the break.

Oli Shaw found himself free inside the area as he tried to bend an effort into the corner, but Derek Gaston got down well to save.

And in the 51st minute Shaw had another guilt-edged chance one-on-one with Gaston, but it was the Lichties No 1 who came out on top again.

Brad Lyons had an effort in the 66th minute as he attempted to loop a header into the far corner, but Gaston was having none of it as he calmly plucked it out of the sky.

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A relatively quiet match for Kyle Lafferty almost sparked into life a minute later as his header skimmed the crossbar, but it got Killie fans off their seats.

And they were on their feet again in the 73rd minute as Taylor’s header went inches wide from a Chris Burke corner.

Lafferty had the ball in the net a minute later, but the linesman was quick to flag for offside.

But Rugby Park erupted in the 79th minute as Taylor headed home to level the scores.

Fraser Murray almost bagged the winner from 25 yards as his deflected shot headed goalwards, but it was well saved by Gaston, who pulled off two more incredible saves in the following minutes.

Alston then slammed home a 90th minute winner to send the Ayrshire crowd wild.

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