ABERDEEN failed to retake top spot in the Ladbrokes Premiership after being held to a 1-1 draw with Motherwell.

A run of three league defeats over the past few weeks has seen the Dons’ lead at the top of the Scottish top flight evaporate in recent weeks with Celtic taking full advantage.

Victory over the Steelmen would have seen Derek McInnes’ men regain top spot, even if only for 24 hours. But despite taking a shock lead at Pittodrie through Adam Rooney, it was not enough as Mark McGhee’s team claimed a deserved point through a second-half Scott McDonald leveller, leaving Aberdeen a point behind their Glasgow rivals having played a game more.

The first chance of the game fell to Motherwell in the opening few minutes. Wes Fletcher played down the right before carrying the ball into the box. He twisted and turned his way into space before squaring for Louis Moult, but the Motherwell forward’s threat was snuffed out before he got the chance to turn at goal eight yards out.

Marvin Johnson was next to try his luck for the visitors after nine minutes. Motherwell worked the ball well on the right flank only for the winger to take a touch, send the ball through the legs of a dazzled Aberdeen defender and bend a 30-yard shot just wide of Danny Ward’s far post.

Almost 20 minutes had gone by and there was still little for a very subdued Aberdeen crowd to get excited by apart from the odd failed corner, while at the other end there was even more evidence that the few hundred travelling fans could be celebrating an upset come full time. This time it was captain Keith Lasley reacting the quickest to a poor clearance with a sliding effort from the edge of the box that whizzed a yard by the right-hand post.

The chances kept on coming for Motherwell as a give and go between Moult and Josh Law sent the former scampering clear only for his drilled cross to be intercepted before Fletcher could slip the ball into the net from six yards.

Indeed, it took Aberdeen until the 29th minutes before the conjured up an effort to test Motherwell goalkeeper Connor Ripley. Unfortunately for the thousands inside Pittodrie, Jonny Hayes’ drilled cross-cum-shot was easily beaten down and then gathered by the Englishman.

While far from fluid, Aberdeen were at last beginning to show some purpose as they half drew to a close and they created their best chance on 35 minutes. A quick breakaway seeing Niall McGinn lead the charge before slipping the ball wide to Hayes, but the Dubliner could not keep his lashed shot down as it sailed over the bar.

Despite that, it still probably came as a major shock to most inside the ground that Aberdeen would go in ahead at the break. It came in fortunate circumstances for the hosts who were gifted a very soft free-kick on the near-side touchline for what one can only assume was a high foot from Stephen Pearson, as he did not touch Logan during a successful challenge for the ball.

The resulting free-kick was swung in by McGinn and a ghosting run from Rooney allowed the Irishman to glance a header into the back of the net.

Aberdeen understandably emerged rejuvenated after the break and began to show more threat going forward. Firstly a stramash in the Motherwell box saw the ball just trundle wide, while Mark Reynold’s header from an Ash Taylor knock down was adjudged to have been offside. Peter Pawlett would also go close with an overhead kick from eight yards that flew just over the bar.

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee was not scared to make changes, however, and two of the three men thrown on early in the second half soon made a difference as Well equalised on 73 minutes. A cheap free-kick was conceded near the touchline as Scott McDonald was bundled in the back. Fellow substitute Lionel Ainsworth stepped up with a pinpoint whipped cross to the Australian, who popped up in the box to power a header beyond Ward.

The game then saw both sides battle to get a winner as Connor Ripley somehow clawed away Mark Reynolds’ goalbound attempt, while Aberdeen keeper Ward did likewise moments later to deny Theo Robinson. The Motherwell man would also send a header at the back post just wide as the game creeped into injury time.

Against Motherwell continued to press and Ward had to pull three stunning saves in injury-time to keep the game level from Johnson, Ainsworth and to stop an own goal off of Ryan Jack.