Kilmarnock's captain fantastic Brad Lyons fired the Rugby Park outfit into the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup . Lyons missed last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Hibs as his wife Aishlyn was giving birth to their first child Theo. But he was back in the heart of midfield for Stuart Kettlewell’s side and after Dundee United sub Owen Stirton had cancelled out Marcus Dackers opener in the first half, Lyons came up with the big moments as his second half volley put Killie into the quarter-final and a win away from Hampden. Kilmarnock made the breakthrough after just six minutes through Dackers. The summer recruit from Salford City had spurned an opportunity moments before when he got the connection to Brad Lyons cross all wrong but he did not pass up his next chance. Teenage wing-back Ben Brannan played a dangerous ball over the top of Dundee United’s defence and Dackers outpaced defender Bert Esselink to latch onto it and then showed great composure when through on goal to slot his shot past Dundee United goalkeeper Yevhenii Kucherenko. Dundee United have already had to contend with a lengthy injury list this season as they juggled European and domestic action. They were without Zac Sapsford, as the injury he suffered against Rapid Vienne saw him join Ross Graham, Kristijan Trapanovski and Ryan Strain on the sidelines. And Max Watters, who scored a Europa Conference League double, was added to that list as he hobbled off after just 17 minutes and was replaced by Owen Stirton. And the teenager made an instant impact as just eight minutes later he drew Dundee United level. Will Ferry found Amar Fatah and the Dundee United loan star slide a pass into Stirton and the 18-year-old dispatched a shot across Killie keeper Max Stryjek and into the far corner to the delight of the travelling support behind the goal. With 21 minutes remaining, Killie edged again as Lyons came up with a big goal. Sub Greg Kiltie delivered a free-kick into the penalty area and the unmarked Lewis Mayo headed it into the path of Lyons and the skipper struck a sweet volley through a crowded penalty area and into the back of the net to send Killie into the quarter-final. Dundee United had a gruelling 120 minutes and penalties on Thursday evening as their European adventure was ended by Rapid Vienna, so it was no surprise that Kilmarnock tried to take the game to them from the off. Marcus Dackers was unable to take a chance after just five minutes when skipper Brad Lyons whipped in a great cross that the 6ft 7in striker failed to convert. However, the big hitman made no mistake seconds later when he latched onto the impressive Ben Brannan’s ball over the top of Dundee United’s defence and he finished off in style as he lashed the ball beyond Yevhenii Kucherenko. Dundee United teenager Owen Stirton and loan signing Amar Fatah would have had a sleepless night after Dundee United’s Conference League exit to Rapid Vienna. Stirton spurned a chance when clean through on goal in extra-time to reclaim the lead and Fatah was the spot-kick sinner as his penalty struck the post in the shoot-out. However, they combined for Dundee United’s equaliser at Rugby Park as Fatah, who was a constant threat, played in Stirton – who replaced the injured Max Watters after 17 minutes – and the 18-year-old academy graduate clinically slotted past Max Stryjek. Kilmarnock manager Stuart Kettlewell has a proven track record for developing players. Kettlewell’s former protégé at Motherwell Lennon Miller last week joined Serie A outfit Udinese in a £4.75 million move - and previously worked with Theo Bair at Motherwell and Ross Stewart at Ross County. Now he has an exciting bunch of Killie kids to help progress in the game. Academy graduate David Watson has long been established in their first team but Brannan is a rising star, who seems to get better with each game, and youngster Ethan Brown, who shone on his second start. Dundee United had been undone by set-pieces in their previous two outings. Former Killie loan star Stuart Findlay scored a double the previous weekend as he profited from Dundee United’s failure to defend a corner. Then against Rapid Vienna on Thursday evening, the Austrian outfit got back into the second leg after Iurie Iovu scored an own-goal at a corner. Once again, they failed to defend a set-piece as Lewis Mayo nodded sub Greg Kiltie’s free-kick into the path of Brad Lyons and he lashed home a volley. When he was Motherwell manager, Stuart Kettlewell ended Dundee United’s involvement in the Premier Sports Cup as he guided the Steelmen to the semi-final of the competition last season. This term, he got the better of Jim Goodwin’s charges once again as Killie progressed to set-up a quarter-final clash at home to St Mirren. Maybe Kettlewell will be at Hampden two years on the spin.