PERHAPS this game would have been better falling victim to the weather. Maybe the rugby markings on the Pittodrie pitch were the reason for the lack of football on offer. This dud of a match was enough to put you off the game.

Then the rot stopped. Aberdeen were suddenly rewarded as Motherwell's misery deepened. Jimmy Calderwood was able to celebrate his 200th game in charge of Aberdeen with a victory, the Dons' third home win in a row.

Substitute Gary McDonald headed Aberdeen in front seconds after coming on. Minutes later, Motherwell's Paul Quinn conceded a penalty and was red carded for his trouble-making before Lee Miller was utterly convincing with his spot-kick.

"For the quality of the two teams, I don't think it was a great first-half," said Calderwood. He was right about that. "Two hundred games is great but it's all about the win. Hearts and Dundee United both won today and they have been on good runs . Hopefully it's time we went on a run and got up that table."

Aberdeen climb to fifth while Motherwell, who have endured five games without a win, sink to 10th. Manager Mark McGhee felt they weren't as bad as they were last week. "It wasn't chronic. We turned up today and put in as much effort as Aberdeen. But it wasn't a great match to watch."

No it wasn't. Graeme Smith made an instinctive save early on from Darren Mackie, who had been offside anyway, before Sone Aluko skipped past a couple of Motherwell defenders. Aberdeen showed some sense of purpose but neither team was very convincing.

Mackie was clean through with a great chance beckoning but he fluffed his cross and the Motherwell defence had no trouble clearing. Then Charlie Mulgrew forced a finger-tip save from Smith with a curling free-kick but, in any case, Derek Young had conceded a foul during the taking.

With a direct punt up the park, Motherwell had a decent opportunity. Chris Porter jumped and Jamie Murphy ran on to it but was wasteful, blazing his shot over the bar when really Jamie Langfield should have been tested.

The second-half got underway … with a long ball out of play. Too much negativity and uncertainty was preventing this turgid affair from getting any better. Then Andrew Considine was injured. His unfortunate exit after some defensive heroics soon took on greater significance. McDonald was his replacement and the limping Considine hadn't made it as far as the tunnel when Aberdeen scored.

Aluko teased the Motherwell defence and slipped in a foreboding cross. McDonald arrived at the back post and planted a header into the net. The boredom was broken. It didn't do Motherwell any good.

Calderwood praised Aluko, and not for the first time. "As a football supporter, that's what you pay to watch. He's got a wonderful career ahead of him if he keeps his feet on the ground. He has no airs and graces. It's wonderful for Aberdeen at this moment in time."

There was more bad news for Motherwell when Quinn tugged on Mackie as the Aberdeen striker prepared to pounce. Referee Chris Boyle produced the red card and then booked goalkeeper Smith for, um, squeezing his water bottle at Miller as the Dons forward went to place the ball on the spot. "Graeme's subject to that sort of petulance," explained McGhee. "It's just a silly action." What about the red card? "It's a red card. The referee was justified in sending him off."

Miller stepped up to smash a fierce kick past Smith into the right-hand corner of the net. What a difference a few minutes made.

And it was very nearly a third goal for Aberdeen when Lee Mair had Smith beaten but the ball struck the post.

A Scott Severin drive was deflected by Mackie and Smith made a superb save, before Miller found the side-netting. Mulgrew sought some icing on the cake with a long-distance effort but his shot snuck past the upright.

Calderwood marked a milestone on a high-note. It wasn't the best of Aberdeen yesterday, far from it. But they were more than enough for a poor Motherwell.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Graeme Smith may have been on the losing side but he pulled off a couple of great saves. Sone Aluko was probably Aberdeen's best player again and set up the opening goal, so the award is his.

QUICK FACT

Six points out of six for Aberdeen against Motherwell this season and the Dons finished this match well on top. It was a bad day for Mark McGhee at Pittodrie with his team failing to find any sort of form. Too often they opted for the long ball.

TALKING POINT

What an introduction for Gary McDonald. He'd barely been on the pitch a minute when he put Aberdeen in front.