Motherwell and Aberdeen have produced some epic encounters in recent seasons including an 11-goal thriller back in 1999 but this was not one of them.
Instead Aberdeen came from behind to grab some consolation for their unlucky European defeat in Berlin on Tuesday.
Ironically the winner was claimed by former Motherwell defender Eric Deloumeaux with just seven minutes left.
The home side really should have made a dream start in the first minute when James McFadden ran onto Doug Ramsay's long ball but fluffed his shot.
Another talented youngster, Aberdeen's Darren Mackie, wasted an equally clear-cut opportunity just seven minutes later as he somehow headed Roberto Bisconti's cross wide from close range.
McFadden got another bite at the cherry in the 11th minute but Peter Kjaer partially blocked the ball before Russell Anderson cleared it off the line.
Motherwell then went even closer to the opening goal with Dirk Lehmann hitting the post in the middle of a crazy goalmouth scramble.
While few would deny that Motherwell deserved to go ahead, the manner in which they finally scored was highly controversial.
Phil McGuire's 40th minute tackle on Keith Lasley looked perfectly innocent but the referee amazed everyone by pointing to the penalty spot.
McFadden had no difficulty sending Kjaer the wrong way and just to rub salt into Aberdeen's wounds both McGuire and Bisconti were booked for dissent.
However, Aberdeen drew level within 60 seconds of the start of the second half when Derek Young slotted the ball home from the narrowest of angles.
Young's equaliser was followed by a dull half-hour but in the closing ten minutes a glaring miss by Lehmann provided the prelude to Deloumeaux's late winner