The home side went in front after 16 minutes when Jim McIntyre's header was ruled to have crossed the line by assistant referee Steven Craven.

Kilmarnock hit back early in the second half when Kris Boyd slammed the ball in after a Gary Wales header hit the post.

United pressed for a winner but Killie came close with Boyd's long range effort and a Freddy Dindeleux header.

The meagre crowd at Tannadice had little to cheer in a very scrappy and sluggish opening period.

United's Barry Robson managed a header on goal from 10 yards out after 15 minutes but visiting goalkeeper Alan Combe saved comfortably.

But a minute later Combe was beaten when Robson's in-swinging corner was met by McIntyre.

The striker's header was kicked clear by Killie midfielder Peter Leven but linesman Steven Craven ruled that the ball had crossed the goal-line.

The match briefly lit up in the 37th minute when United defender Mark Wilson sent in a curling 30-yard free-kick which Combe did well to save at his right hand post.

Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies brought on top scorer Boyd for the ineffective Nish at the interval.

The substitution inspired the visitors and they laid siege to the United goal immediately after the re-start, the short burst of pressure ending when Wales sent a 20-yard shot wide of the target.

There was no real surprise when Boyd, who had scored seven times already this season against the Taysiders including five in in the 5-2 victory at Rugby Park in September, got the equaliser in the 53rd minute.

Leven's cross came in from the left and Wales rose inside a packed penalty area to get in a header which beat Tony Bullock and crashed off the far post.

As the home defence hesitated, the rebound fell to Boyd, who hammered the ball into the net from a couple of yards out.

United began to impose themselves on the game pushing the visitors further back towards Combe.

But, in the 65th minute, it was Boyd again who came close to putting Kilmarnock into the lead with a dipping shot from 25 yards, which landed on the roof of the net.

Moments later, Killie defender Dindeleux headed a Gary Locke corner just over the bar from close range with the United defence sleeping.

Dundee Utd: Bullock, Kenneth, Ritchie, Archibald, Wilson, Kerr, Brebner, Duff (Samuel 70), Robson, Crawford, McIntyre. Subs Not Used: Colgan, McCracken, McInnes, Dodds, Grady, Cameron.

Booked: Wilson. Goal: McIntyre 16.

Kilmarnock: Combe, Lilley, Greer (Naismith 63), Dindeleux, Fowler, McDonald, Locke, Leven, Hay, Nish (Boyd 45), Wales (Johnstone 90). Subs Not Used: Smith, Murray, Dodds, Hamill.

Goal: Boyd 53.

Att: 6,576

Ref: M McCurry