Humphrey (right) is congratulated by his Motherwell team-mates

A late headed goal by defender Nikola Vujadinovic was not enough to save Aberdeen's slim hopes of finishing in the top half of the league.

Motherwell had peppered the Dons goal before they took a 15th-minute lead.

Chris Humphrey out-paced Steven Smith to reach a long ball and smashed a shot past Reds goalkeeper Jamie Langfield.

Well's Darren Randolph saved a fine Chris Maguire low shot before Shaun Hutchinson converted Tom Hateley's corner ahead of the late Dons goal.

Craig Brown's first visit to Fir Park as Aberdeen manager since leaving Motherwell was a crucial one for the Reds to win if they wished to be playing in the top half of the Scottish Premier League table after the split.

At kick-off, Aberdeen were six points behind Well, the only team they had any chance of catching, although Brown's side had played one match fewer.

The result means Motherwell stay in sixth place and look a good bet to pip Inverness, St Johnstone and Hibernian to the final top-half berth.

The Fir Park surface has charted the transition from winter to spring. The appearance of some recent sunshine has produced plenty of tufts of green stuff on a pitch that had descended into a grey plain.

Motherwell had new signing Maurice Ross in at right-back for the suspended Steve Jennings to face one of his former clubs and he looked assured in his debut.

In any case, most of the action in the first half was at the other end of the pitch where strikers Jamie Murphy and John Sutton looked lively, aided by Keith Lasley in midfield.

But it was Steve Jones, in for injured Francis Jeffers, who had the first chance for the Claret and Amber, cutting in to the box from the left, beating two players and smacking a shot over the bar.

On a perfect day for football, the crowd was fairly subdued but the home fans soon had something to cheer.

Murphy tried his luck, again with a move down the left. This time, though, the shot flashed across the goal and went narrowly wide.

But, unlike Jones and Murphy, Humphrey found his range.

He showed a great turn of pace to make a few yards up on Aberdeen left-back Smith to beat him to a ball over the top, race into the box and smash the ball beyond Langfield.

Motherwell looked to have the greater appetite, perhaps buoyed by their convincing 3-0 defeat of Dundee United in the Scottish Cup replay in midweek.

They consistently regained the ball whenever they lost possession and kept the Dons pinned back.

In the 58th minute Jones somehow missed from four yards, ballooning an effort over the bar as he tried to convert Humphrey's delicious cross between Langfield and his defence.

Sone Aluko had a brief sight of goal after a one-two with former Motherwell player Nick Blackman but Stevie Hammell got back to snuff out the danger.

Aberdeen soon had a great chance to level. Vujadinovic played Maguire through but Darren Randolph made a brilliant save, throwing himself to his right to tip the ball past the post.

And Randolph held Andrew Considine's header after Derek Young sent the ball back into the box following a corner.

Maguire, who earlier escaped a yellow card for shooting wide several seconds after the whistle had gone for offside, was booked for tripping Hutchinson as the defender shepherded the ball out of play.

Motherwell manager Stuart McCall sent on centre-half Stephen Craigan for striker Murphy to shore up the defence.

At the other end, moments after having a shot saved by Langfield, Hutchinson side-footed Hateley's 88th-minute corner beyond the Dons goalie to give Motherwell a two-goal lead, though Dons boss Brown will be unhappy at the poor marking.

Aberdeen huffed and puffed but did not look like testing Randolph again until Vujadinovic flashed home his 91st-minute header.

Brown, at least, has a Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic to look forward to but the greater task is rebuilding for next season.

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