Dismal Dons crashed to another defeat against Motherwell. The few long-suffering home fans who stayed the course vented their anger at full time as boos rang around the ground.
The only crumb of comfort Aberdeen manager Steve Paterson can take from this game were the performances of youngsters Richard Buckley and Craig Higgins who both appeared in the starting line-up for the first time.
On the other hand, visiting boss Terry Butcher must be very pleased with another assured performance from his side, which moves them into fifth spot, two points behind Dunfermline whom they visit next Saturday.
Paterson handed debuts to youth team players Buckley and Higgins after late withdrawals by Phil McGuire and Zander Diamond in the centre of the Dons defence.
Barry-John Corr replaced Gordon Marshall in goal for Motherwell as the only change made by the visitors following their narrow 1-0 home victory over Dunfermline on Thursday.
Aberdeen were the more enterprising side in the early exchanges. The nearest they came during this period was on seven minutes when Paul Sheerin picked up a loose ball just outside the area.
His shot took a slight deflection off Stephen Craigan, to beat Corr, but the ball rebounded off the face of the post and the Well defence were on hand to clear the danger.
Aberdeen did have the ball in the net on 12 minutes after Leigh Hinds clipped the ball home, but the goal was rightly disallowed as the striker was well offside.
Motherwell shocked the home side on 14 minutes when a Keith Lasley cross was knocked on by Alex Burns to Steven Craig. He then cushioned his pass into the path of Burns and the diminutive striker calmly stroked the ball beyond David Preece from 15 yards out.
The visitors could have extended their lead on 20 minutes but Craig failed to hit the target from ten yards when sent clear by Derek Adams inside the Dons box.
Craig was proving a real handful for the Dons central defenders, when minutes later he danced clear of Kevin Rutkiewicz but thankfully for Aberdeen Preece saved brilliantly at his near post.
Corr was called into action on 42 minutes when the Well rearguard failed to clear a Steven Tosh corner, the ball falling to Scott Morrison on the edge of the area but his first-time effort from 18 yards was comfortably held by the keeper.
On 54 minutes Jason Dair looked to have extended the visitors lead, only for Preece to produce a wonderful fingertip save to turn the ball over the bar.
At the other end Rutkiewicz got ahead of Craigan to meet a Tosh corner, but although his effort had goal written all over it, Steven Hammell appeared at the far post to head the ball off the line.
A lightening quick break on 65 minutes saw David Zdrilic and Sheerin link up well before finding Scott Muirhead, who passed the ball onto Morrison on the overlap. The full-back moved into the area but Corr did brilliantly to parry his right-foot shot away at the expense of a corner.
The game should have been all over as a contest in the following few minutes when Burns was twice through a one-on-one with Preece. From the first of these he rounded the Dons keeper but from an acute angle couldn't keep his shot on target.
Then Preece did enough to deflect the striker's shot wide after Burns and Craig had torn the Dons central defence to shreds.
In the final minutes Motherwell emphasised their superiority when Adams brilliantly broke to pick out Craig who glided into the Dons box before expertly sliding the ball under Preece and into the unguarded net.
There was still time for substitute Richard Foster to volley a Muirhead cross over the bar when it seemed easier to score, this just about summing up the Dons display on the day.