Hibernian moved level on points with third-place Rangers with a 5-3 win over Kilmarnock in a thrilling Ladbrokes Premiership encounter at Easter Road.
Returning Hibs midfielder Scott Allan fired in the opener in the 29th minute only for Killie skipper Kris Boyd to level with a header three minutes later.
Midfielder Steven Whittaker restored the home side's lead in the 53rd minute, but that was cancelled out by Kilmarnock's Stuart Findlay on the hour mark.
The Leith side stretched ahead with goals from by Jamie Maclaren and Florian Kamberi before Boyd flashed in a free-kick to reduce the deficit.
But substitute Brandon Barker scored an injury-time fifth to continue Hibs' push for second spot. They sit three points behind Aberdeen with three games remaining.
It was a game packed with incident.
In the fifth minute there was a Killie penalty claim ignored by referee Don Robertson when Jordan Jones went to ground in the area as he tried to get past Hibs defender Darren McGregor.
Hibs looked more creative, but the visitors missed a good chance in the 27th minute when full-back Stephen O'Donnell's cross from the right found Boyd at the back post, but his tame header dropped harmlessly into the arms of Hibs keeper Ofir Marciano.
A minute or so later the visitors found themselves behind.
The energetic and creative Allan, back in for the injured Dylan McGeouch, worked a one-two with Kamberi and then, on the angle, drilled the ball low past Kilmarnock keeper Leo Fasan and into the far corner from eight yards.
However, in the 32nd minute Boyd made amends for his earlier miss when, from Jones' deep cross from the left, he headed in from six yards for a simple goal.
Hibs stepped up the tempo and seconds before the interval Killie defender Kirk Broadfoot cleared a McGregor header off the line after Fasan had clawed away an Allan cross.
The Ayrshire side were on top at the start of the second half, but they were undone when John McGinn's inch-perfect pass found midfielder Whittaker inside the box and he guided the ball past Fasan from six yards.
Back came the Ayrshire side and Boyd headed weakly into Marciano's hands from a Lee Erwin cross before Findlay converted a Jones cross from close range to make it 2-2.
Hibs responded positively and Maclaren knocked in a McGinn cross three minutes later and appeared to have been awarded a penalty in the 70th minute when Kamberi went down in the box under a challenge from Greg Taylor.
But, after consulting his assistant, Robertson gave a drop ball which was uncontested.
However, home jeers turned to cheers five minutes later as Allan split the Killie defence with a wonderful pass and Kamberi swept it past Fasan for number four.
It looked all over for Killie, but Boyd's free-kick from outside the box in the 80th minute beat Marciano and went in off a post to set up an exciting finale.
Kilmarnock had the ball in the net with two minutes remaining - Boyd was involved in the melee - but the offside flag was up and then Barker, on for Maclaren, scored a breakaway fifth to clinch the points.
Scottish Premiership Standings
POS | Team | GP | GD | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Celtic | 38 | +70 | 93 |
2 | Rangers | 38 | +49 | 89 |
3 | Heart of Midlothian | 38 | +10 | 61 |
4 | Dundee United | 38 | -7 | 48 |
5 | Motherwell | 38 | -19 | 46 |
6 | Ross County | 38 | -14 | 41 |
7 | Livingston | 38 | -5 | 49 |
8 | Hibernian | 38 | -4 | 45 |
9 | St Mirren | 38 | -18 | 44 |
10 | Aberdeen | 38 | -5 | 41 |
11 | St Johnstone | 38 | -27 | 35 |
12 | Dundee | 38 | -30 | 29 |
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