Aberdeen 3-3 Motherwell

Josh Magennis's stoppage-time strike completed a two-goal Aberdeen fightback that denied Scottish Premier League leaders Motherwell a deserved win.

The Dons ended a home goal drought that had stetched to four games, Gavin Rae heading in from a sixth-minute corner.

But Michael Higdon replied from close range and, after the break, Shaun Hutchinson headed Well into the lead.

Nicky Law made it 3-1 from close range, but Niall McGinn headed in soon after before Magennis's dramatic leveller.

Motherwell enjoy the game at Pittodrie after Higdon's equaliser

It denied Motherwell a win that would have put them three points clear of Hibernian, who themselves missed a chance to top the table the previous day, and four ahead of reigning champions Celtic.

For the Dons, they at least ended a run of four 0-0 draws at home in the SPL - including the final game of last season - and manager Craig Brown avoided a sixth straight league defeat at the hands of his former team since leaving Fir Park for Pittodrie.

Unchanged Aberdeen gave themselves the ideal start in their search for a first home win in seven games since 7 April when Rae sent a beautifully glanced header into the far corner of the net from a Jonny Hayes corner.

Motherwell refused to be knocked out of the stride of some fine early season form and Henrik Ojamaa, justifying his inclusion in the starting line-up in place of Jamie Murphy, forced a save from Jamie Langfield with a shot on the turn.

Hutchinson was perhaps fortunate not to be booked for a lunge at Jamie Langfield and became the latest a turn at kicking tricky winger Ryan Fraser - receiving a yellow card for his troubles - before Higdon fired a couple of powder-puff drives straight at the goalkeeper from just outside the penalty box.

Motherwell finally made the breakthrough their probing had promised when Higdon forced the ball inside the near post for his seventh goal in four games after Fraser Kerr's initial close-range poke at goal had been blocked by Langfield.

The visitors continued to look the more threatening after the break, with Ojamaa sending one shot into the side netting and forcing Langfield to beat away another.

It looked like Well had killed the game when Kerr headed on a Hateley corner, it was flicked on by Murphy and Law forced it over the line with eight minutes remaining.

However, after half-hearted claims for a foul on Law inside the penalty box were waved away, Dons substitute Niall McGinn's powerful 12-yard header from a Fraser cross two minutes later gave the Dons renewed hope.

It proved to be justified when striker-turned-full-back Magennis showed he retains his predatory instincts by poking a mis-hit Andrew Considine shot past goalkeeper Darren Randolph.

Live text commentary