Aberdeen 1 - 2 Motherwell

Francis Jeffers marked his first Motherwell start with a goal as the visitors got the better of 10-man Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

Sone Aluko shot the Dons into an early lead but a deft header from Jeffers levelled matters on 14 minutes.

Aberdeen skipper Paul Hartley was dismissed early in the second half for aiming a kick at Keith Lasley.

And Jamie Murphy grabbed the winner after 71 minutes, finding the net with a low strike.

The game had originally been scheduled as Craig Brown's first in charge of Aberdeen since moving from Motherwell in December but it was delayed by snow.

The postponement spared Brown a verbal backlash, with only around 100 hardy Motherwell fans making the trip to the north east in cold, wet conditions.

And they were probably wishing they had stayed at home after two minutes when Aluko fired the Dons ahead.

The winger collected Steven Smith's cross just inside the penalty box and flicked the ball over Stephen Craigan's head before thumping the ball across keeper Darren Randolph and in off the post.

Motherwell, who were crushed 6-0 at Rangers on Saturday, twice forced Jamie Langfield into saves before the 10-minute mark with the Aberdeen goalkeeper tipping over Ross Forbes' curling free-kick then beating away Murphy's powerful long-range strike

But Langfield was helpless when Jeffers glanced a header into the top corner from 12 yards following Craigan's driven cross.

The former £8m Arsenal signing soon had a chance to put Motherwell ahead when Murphy's low cross eventually found him but his shot was blocked and Aberdeen broke quickly, with Scott Vernon nodding David McNamee's cross narrowly wide.

The impressive Jeffers again threatened midway through the half when Langfield tipped his curling 20-yard strike wide.

Aberdeen captain Hartley sent a shot whistling wide from 25 yards but Motherwell looked the more cohesive unit and Murphy fired inches over from similar range.

Jeffers forced another save from Langfield after twisting past two men outside the penalty area, but Motherwell had a let-off when Randolph fumbled Vernon's long-range strike and was mightily relieved to see the ball trundle past the post.

The second half started in scruffy fashion, with Jeffers coming in for some rough treatment from the home defenders

And tempers boiled over on 56 minutes when Hartley was sent off for his angry reaction to an ugly aerial challenge from Lasley.

The Dons skipper saw his second red card of the season for foolishly kicking out at his opponent.

A fabulous long pass from Forbes sent Chris Humphrey, on for the tiring Jeffers, scampering down the right and it needed a great blocking tackle from Zander Diamond to prevent John Sutton from converting the substitute's low cross.

Sutton did get on the end of another Humphrey delivery but Langfield made a good parried stop.

However, Motherwell were not to be denied and took the lead with 20 minutes remaining when Murphy shrugged of a tug from the sluggish Nikola Vujadinovic and scuffed an angled shot beyond Langfield, who looked slow to react.

Aberdeen responded with a rasping Vernon shot, while Josh Magennis could only manage a weak effort inside the six yard box as Randolph flapped under pressure

A quicksilver late breakaway from Murphy should have put the result beyond doubt but the forward stumbled as he rounded Langfield and Smith was able to clear from the goal-line.

Team-mate Humphrey was furious not have received a pass in the move but the pair were soon celebrating as the final whistle sounded, with the Steelmen moving up three places to fifth spot in the Scottish Premier League