Well started the match high on confidence following last weeks win at Tynecastle and immediately took the game to the visitors.
Their positive approach was rewarded with a penalty in the eighth minute when Richie Byrne tripped Stephen Hughes as he burst through from midfield. Ross McCormack fired the spot-kick high to the keeper's right as he dived to his left.
Five minutes later Well were two up, Paul Quinn sent over a perfect cross for Steven McGarry to head past Jamie Langfield from about eight yards out.
Aberdeen were at sixes and sevens at the back and looked vulnerable every time Motherwell got the ball. They almost did find a way back into the game on 21 minutes, but home keeper Graeme Smith blocked one-on-one from Stevie Lovell.
Motherwell emphasised their superiority when they made it 3-0 right on the half-time whistle. Hughes played a great ball through to McCormack who smacked the ball home from an acute angle.
After the break Well continued to play all the football, but it was the Dons who carved out the early chances with Rickie Foster heading over from a corner and then Lee Miller brought out an excellent low diving save from Smith.
The home side saw off this early rally and started creating more chances of their own. Dave Clarkson was unlucky to see a header land on the roof of the net following a McCormack corner.
Motherwell were showing off the full range of their tricks when Chris Porter found McCormack with a cute backheel and the striker's chip floated just over.
The home side finished the stronger of the two teams without being able to find a fourth goal which would have emphasised the gap between the sides on the day.