Aberdeen 2-1 Motherwell

Lee Miller celebrates moving Aberdeen up to third place

Lee Miller's late goal earned Aberdeen a deserved three points against Motherwell at Pittodrie to lift them up to third in the table.

Jamie Smith had given the Dons the lead early in the second half but Well hit back when Michael Hart put through his own net after a blunder by Langfield.

The game looked like it was going to end all square before Miller grabbed the winner with four minutes to go.

The Scotland B cap turned Chris Clark's cross into the net from six yards.

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There was just the one change to the Dons side from the one that drew in Inverness, with Steve Lovell, making his first start in three months, replacing Darren Mackie up front.

Maurice Malpas made two changes to the team that were knocked out of the CIS Cup at Rugby Park in midweek with Jim Paterson and Steven McGarry replacing Marc Fitzpatrick and Stephen Maguire.

Aberdeen were by far the better side in the first half as Motherwell struggled to get into the match.

Hart was proving to be the Dons' main attacking threat in the first half and from a Nicholson pass the right-back cleverly spun past Paterson and sent a terrific cross into the area from the by-line.

Lee Miller was on hand to meet the ball at the near post - but the Aberdeen striker saw his thumping header strike off the crossbar and rebound to safety.

The Dons hit the woodwork again shortly after, this time Scott Severin was the unlucky player as he saw his header come off the base of Colin Meldrum's post from a Barry Nicholson corner.

Jamie Smith salutes the crowd after giving Aberdeen the lead

Motherwell survived until half-time but their resistance could only hold out until the 57th minute when Jamie Smith scored his first goal of the season.

Miller fed the ball to Clark and from the left-midfielder's well weighted pass, Smith confidently rolled the ball past Meldrum with his right-foot from the edge of Motherwell's 18-yard-box.

But the lead lasted only four minutes as Motherwell hit back with a fortuitous leveller after a calamitous piece of goalkeeping from Jamie Langfield.

Hart won a tackle just ahead of Keith Lasley in the Dons' penalty area, but Langfield allowed the ball to role through his grasp and creep over the line to give the visitors a scarcely deserved equaliser.

The goal galvanised Maurice Malpas's side, who had lost skipper Stephen Craigan to injury, and they started to take the game to their hosts.

The match looked as though it was going to end in deadlock however, with only three minutes remaining, Aberdeen found a winner as Miller scored his second goal for the Pittodrie side since his switch from Dundee United at the end of August.

Clark's shot from the right bounced across the face of Motherwell's goal and Miller was on hand to bundle the ball into the net from close range and hand the Dons their third home win on the bounce.

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Aberdeen: Langfield, Hart, Anderson, Severin, Foster, Jamie Smith, Nicholson, Dempsey (Maguire 78), Clark, Lovell (Mackie 72), Miller.
Subs not used: Soutar, Diamond, Daniel Smith, Winter, Considine.

Goals: J Smith 57, Miller 86.

Motherwell: Meldrum, Quinn, Craigan (Kinniburgh 56), Reynolds, Paterson, McGarry (McBride 46), Kerr, Lasley, Foran, Clarkson, Elliot (Fitzpatrick 49).
Subs not used: Graeme Smith, Fagan, Connolly, Coakley.

Booked: Kerr, Clarkson, McBride.

Goal: Hart (o.g.) 61.

Att: 10,527

Ref: C Richmond