Mick Kennedy's part-timers produced a devastating display at K-Park, with Craig McGuffie and Finlay Gray both scoring twice and Darragh O'Connor adding the fifth. Jack Stott netted for Queen of the South. The League Two championship flag was unfurled before kick-off, and Kilby will be dreaming of a third successive promotion after this showing.
The result fired a warning shot to the rest of the division, particularly given Kilby were without captain and star striker Cami Elliott, who failed to shake off a hamstring issue, and influential summer signing Lewis McGrattan. The home faithful would not have noticed, as their side bossed proceedings against Nicky Clark's side.
Fast start from the penalty spot
It took Kilby just eight minutes to score their first League One goal, and it came from the penalty spot. A short corner caught Queens napping, and when the ball was worked into the box for Finlay Gray, the EK winger was brought down for a clear foul. McGuffie stepped up and sent Deniz Mehmet the wrong way to open the scoring.
In 14 minutes Queens almost responded when Cole Coughlin's half-volley inside the box had to be pushed onto the crossbar by Shay Kelly. Neat feet from Malik Zaid created space on the edge of the box in 18 minutes, but his low drive flew agonisingly wide.
In 23 minutes EK doubled their advantage. The ball fell kindly for McGuffie on the edge of the box, and his deflected strike flew past Mehmet.
Stott pulls one back before Gray's header
Just three minutes later, the Doonhamers pulled one back when Jack Stott was teed up on the edge of the box and his curling effort found the bottom corner, leaving Kelly with no chance.
McGuffie almost netted his hat-trick in 38 minutes when his whipped corner came back off the crossbar. Kilby did find a third before half-time, though, as Owen Moffat whipped in a free-kick from the left and Gray powered a header into the bottom corner to restore the two-goal advantage at the interval.
Second-half dominance
At the start of the second half, EK continued to dominate and looked like scoring every time they came forward. Wave after wave of attack brought the fourth goal in 62 minutes. Moffat cut in from the left and found McGuffie, whose deft touch slipped in Gray to slot beyond Mehmet and put the game to bed.
EK's fifth came in 75 minutes when O'Connor poked the ball home from close range from Moffat's pass. Coughlin almost grabbed a second for Queens in 85 minutes when he clipped the ball over Kelly, but Jamie Hamilton cleared off the line.
Teams and next up
East Kilbride: Kelly, Hamilton, O'Connor, Fagan, Kyle (Calder 15), Zaid, Armstrong, Smith, Moffat, Gray, McGuffie (Balde 74). Scorers: McGuffie 8 (pen), 23, Gray 45, 62. Bookings: Smith. Subs not used: McKendrick, Steele, McKenna, Spalding, Ross, Foster.
Queen of the South: Mehmet, MacKenzie, Rogerson, Charters, Ellis, Stott, Johnstone (Morton 85), Davis (Thomson 85), McColm (Kelly 56, Gray 72), Smith, Coughlin. Scorers: Stott 26. Bookings: Davis, Stott, MacKenzie, Smith. Subs not used: Petry, Newall, Harris.
Half-time: 3-1. Referee: Josh Hay. Attendance: 646.
Kilby now head to Lanarkshire rivals Airdrieonians next weekend.
