With the Hibees having handed out a 4-0 drubbing on their last Friday night visit here, the loss of an early Tom Taiwo goal and injuries to skipper Keith Lasley and Nicky Law looked like a severe blow to home hopes.
But manager Stuart McCall can be well pleased with the way his side remained true to their passing philosophy and ultimately carved up Hibs.
The fightback continued to safeguard Well's second-place status and served notice they will be very hard to dislodge from Celtic's slipstream as they once again pursue European football.
Having taken 10 points from their last 12, Well have hit form exactly when it mattered most.
It was the home side who opened proceedings in the more positive fashion and a probing McFadden pass sent Henrik Ojamaa into the visiting area, but his close-range strike deflected off Lewis Stevenson and Ben Williams smothered at his near post.
Pat Fenlon's men remained happy to sit in and concede possession, then hit on the counter, and a double dose of disaster was just around the corner for the Steelmen.
With 24 minutes gone, David Wotherspoon's dipping cross eluded the Well central defence and Taiwo headed home.
Moments later the sight of skipper Lasley limping off, with teenage talent Stuart Carswell replacing the skipper, put an even bigger dent in home hopes of recovering lost ground. Not surprisingly Motherwell's previous composure was badly shaken.
Before a ball had even been kicked after the break, home hopes were hit by another injury wrecking ball when Law was unable to reappear due to injury and Adam Cummins deputised.
However, Well hit back almost immediately. McFadden's trickery was followed by a fine left-foot delivery which Higdon rose majestically to head home his 20th league goal of the campaign and 21st in total.
Six minutes later McFadden rubber-stamped his fine Friday night out by skipping into space 20 yards out and bending a left-foot effort home to put Well in front.
It was undoubtedly no more than they deserved.
In 67 minutes, a sumptuous piece of football put Well on easy street and rubber- stamped their top-six status.
Carswell eluded the attentions of Stevenson and crossed deep for Kallum Higginbotham to apply a flying half-scissors effort that ended Easter Road hopes of taking anything from the game.
The visitors' misery was compounded by a 20-yard deflected Tom Hateley strike seven minutes from time that sent the home hordes home happy.
Now, with a fortnight's rest due to the international break, McCall's injured stars will have time to recover.
With McFadden clearly coming back to his best, the Steelmen can look forward to the remainder of the season – and the all-important push for Europe.
