Ten-man Motherwell had to settle for a share of the points with Hibernian when the only winner at Fir Park was the weather.
The swirling wind made it difficult for either team to produce flowing football in a game of stops and starts.
And ‘Well’s task was made all the more challenging when they had to play the final 17 minutes with 10 men when Liam Donnelly was shown a second yellow card.
Graham Alexander made only one change from the side which eventually progressed in the Scottish Cup on Saturday.
Kevin van Veen was rewarded for his pivotal role when he came off the bench to overcome Morton, starting up front beside Connor Shields.
The wind and rain initially failed to dampen proceedings as both teams made a bright start to the game.
Within a minute, Kevin Nisbet ignored claims for offside as he bolted towards the home penalty area but Jake Carroll came across his box to block the Scotland striker’s shot on goal.
Six minutes later, Donnelly attempted to emulate his wonder winner against Morton but from 30 yards his left foot skimmed past Matt Macey’s goal.
The first real chance came ‘Well’s way after 12 minutes. Van Veen’s marker Rocky Bushiri got too close and conceded a free-kick eight yards beyond the corner of the Hibs box.
Having demonstrated his dead ball accuracy against Livingston, ‘Well’s Dutch striker tried to repeat the feat but although he directed his effort beyond the wall it was straight into the arms of the waiting ‘keeper.
Play raced to other end when Josh Doig intercepted a Sean Goss cross-field pass. But having worked himself into the home box, Sondre Solholm got in front of Liam Kelly’s goal to block the danger.
The best chance of the first half arrived after 26 minutes when the Fir Park men really should have opened the scoring. From a Goss corner on the left, Carroll’s nod helped the ball on its way to Shields.
His thumping drive from 10 yards was well blocked by Macey but the ball rebounded only as far as Van Veen at the corner of the six-yard box who could only slice his shot into the huge Hibs contingent behind the goal.
As the game headed towards the interval, the wind was having an impact as any pass in the air was subjected to the ball being blown off course.
In the final move of the half, Motherwell managed to keep the ball on the deck. Goss sent Jordan Roberts into the Hibs half before playing in Van Veen who cut into the box only to hammer his shot off the close marking Bushiri.
If there was any advantage from the wind it was behind Motherwell as they started the second half facing the Davie Cooper stand.
In the 56th minute, a decent build up between Roberts and Van Veen set up Donnelly at the edge of the box. His strike on goal rebounded from a defender into Stephen O’Donnell’s path and his attempt to test Macey was similarly blocked by a tightly organised Hibs’ defence.
Five minutes later, in at attempt to get his forwards into the game, Shaun Maloney made his first change bringing on Drey Wright.
It was Alexander who made the next alteration. Similar to Saturday, he provided Ross Tierney with 25 minutes to make an impact when he came off the bench to replace Shields.
Those plans were thrown into disarray after 73 minutes. Donnelly’s sliding tackle on Wright brought a second yellow for the Motherwell midfield man but when referee Andrew Dallas then produced a red, the home side were reduced to 10 men.
As Donnelly headed up the tunnel the referee went back into his top pocket this time to show the ‘Well boss a red card.
As the Hibs’ boss sent on more forwards to make most of their numerical advantage it was the home side who had another chance to open the scoring. Paul McGinn tripped Roberts five yards outside the box and again Van Veen took the free kick. This time his curling shot clipping the top of defensive wall and going behind for a corner.
Maguire’s corner found Goss at the edge of the box but like previous attempts on goal from the home side his powerful drive was blocked.
In the additional four minutes, despite being a man down, the Fir Park side skilfully maintained possession of the ball and settle for a hard-earned point.
