Hicham Zerouali broke a bone in his ankle on Sunday which means he will no longer set off for Japan, where he was due to join up with the Moroccan Olympic squad.

After injuries to Arild Stravrum's back and Eoin Jess' knee, Zerouali had to be helped off the park following a challenge from Ged Bran-nan, and was taken straight to hospital.

Brannan's Motherwell, meanwhile, were the subject of a fierce onslaught from manager Billy Davies, who kept his players back in their dressing room for a full hour.

Davies has cancelled all days off and has ordered double training sessions after accusing his players of failing to realise that they have a relegation fight on their hands.

He attacked his group's attitude, saying they lacked any hunger to win - the clearest indication yet that the Fir Park bonus row is continuing to poison relations within the club.

Robbie Winters shot the Dons in front as Ebbe Skovdahl's team, without finding a cutting edge, blunted the worst of their Dublin hangover. They are now five points clear of Dundee United.

Lee McCulloch struck his second goal this week to level for Motherwell, but without a doubt Zerouali was the one who had most to regret after his short-lived outing.

Tests on the Moroccan have yet to determine just how long he will be out for, but Skovdahl confirmed his £450,000 signing will not travel to the Morrocan base ahead of Sydney.

'His is a serious injury, so he is out of the Olympics,' Skovdahl revealed. 'It is very sad because the Games would have been a huge event in Hicham's life and we all feel very sorry for him.'

Sympathy was an emotion Davies would not have recognised had it hit him on the nose last night. 'Today we had no excuses,' he said.

'Our attitude was abysmal. There are one or two of my play-ers who need to waken up to the fact they have a fight on their hands now.

'That performance was dis-graceful - there was a lack of all urgency or a desire to go on and win the match. You could hardly blame the fans for booing at the end.

'Certain individuals who have been brought back into the team after knocks are below the standards of fitness they should be at.

'The break has come at the right time for me to go and sort one or two people out. Days off have certainly been cancelled and there will be double training sessions.

'It didn't look to me as if we were a group of players needing three points,' he added.

Well play Dunfermline in the CIS Cup next Tuesday at Fir Park, while Aberdeen travel to Ibrox in the same competition for their next outing.

Brannan received a caution for his foul on Zerouali on the edge of Motherwell's penalty area midway through the first half. It had not looked a particularly bad tackle, but the forward left the field in agony.

Winters had headed David Rowson's driven cross into the net at the far post from six yards to give the Dons an 11th-minute lead, but McCulloch had equalised with a fine team goal ten minutes later.

Scott Leitch played the ball from the centre circle to Don Goodman on the right flank. He passed Kevin McNaughton, later to suffer worse from the same opponent, and centred low for McCulloch to finish from six yards.

Afterwards, the striker said: 'That's two in two games for me, so from that point of view, I'm delighted. I just got a sclaff on the ball and it was a bit of a lucky finish, but I'll take it gladly.

'The fact we still haven't won in the league this season isn't preying on our minds yet. The win will come sooner or later, so for now we will just concentrate on beating Dunfermline in the Cup.'

McNaughton ended up receiving stitches above his eye after a clash of heads with Goodman just before the break. Skovdahl was spoken to by referee John Rowbotham for having approached the player.

The Dane apologised later and said: 'I asked him if he would look after Good-man's elbows. Goodman said to me he was not out to hurt anybody, and I apologised to the referee, because managers are not allowed onto the pitch.

'Now I know, I will never do it again.'

Darren Mackie had come on for Zerouali, showing up well on the left with his hard running.

The Dons did have chances to win the game, notably for Cato Guntveit, but never threatened Andy Goram.

Robbie Winters linked well with Guntveit when the Norwegian got behind Greg Strong, only to see his shot fly past the face of goal.

Motherwell's best opportunity came from a Paul Harvey corner on the right, which Goodman headed over the crossbar on the bounce.

The same players again combined four minutes from the end, but Derek Whyte was composure personified as he headed Harvey's dangerous through-ball back to Ryan Esson.

Harvey should have done better on each occasion, as the jeers from the crowd demonstrated moments later.

Davies, for one, could only agree with the Motherwell supporters.

Motherwell: Goram; McMillan, Oueifio, Strong, Corrigan; Adams, Leitch, Brannan; Spencer, Goodman, McCulloch Subs: Hammell, Woods, Elliott, Harvey, Wood

Aberdeen: Esson; Mc Naughton, Whyte, McGuire, Rowson; Guntveit, Darren Young, Bernard, Derek Young; Winters, Zerouali Subs: Dow, Belabed, Rutkiewicz, Mackie, Preece.