IT was the strike Aberdeen fans willed would happen as James Wilson made his first home appearance wearing the red of the Dons rather than of Manchester United, the club he left for a season-long loan at Pittodrie.

And he insisted his strike to win the points was as good as any he scored at Old Trafford.

Toiling with a hamstring injury sustained in his 20 minutes against Hibs at Easter Road a month ago – his debut for his temporary employers – Wilson hit the game’s only goal after six minutes before largely disappearing from view before being replaced by teenager Bruce Anderson on the hour.

Still, it was job done and a strike which was enough to win instant admiration from the Pittodrie faithful with the 22-year-old reminding the assembled media that he had also scored on his debuts on his first appearance for Manchester United and while on loan at Sheffield United and at Brighton.

The feeling as he watched his edge-of-the area finish, with Niall McGinn the provider, was as good as any goal he hit down south, he insisted.

“It's been a while since I scored in a competitive game,” he said.

“It's never a feeling you forget but it's nice to get it back again.

“I scored on my home debut for Manchester United against Hull City, then on my debuts for Brighton and Sheffield United.

“But that goal felt just as good as any of those. Any time the ball hits the back of the net, it's an incredible feeling.

“And if I get that kind of service from Niall, the other wide men and big Sam Cosgrove up front, I can score even more.

“It's been frustrating for me with injuries but I lasted 60 minutes which I'm pleased about.

“And the pressure to score goals isn't new to me. I'll deal with that and if I keep scoring that pressure will lift.”

This was not the rip-roaring encounter which might have been predicted following Aberdeen’s bright start and if there were thoughts that their new recruit would be boosted sufficiently by his goal to produce others they soon dissipated. Instead, the hosts fell away for long spells as their opponents adapted and assumed control for periods, despite their one eye-catching strike arriving not until the final minute as Joe Lewis, the Dons goalkeeper, was called into action for the first time to produce a wonderful diving save from Chris Cadden’s 23-yard stinger of a shot.

Stephen Robinson, the Motherwell manager, was right to claim the game was a close affair, even if it did lack spectacle.

He conceded that his main frontman Curtis Main, allowed leave of absence after his partner gave birth on Friday, was missed in the Motherwell firing line and given their determination to penetrate a well-drilled Dons defence, the former Middlesbrough player may have made a difference.

“We decided he should stay with his family,” Robinson revealed. “It was a late call and I think we missed him for his pace and physicality.

“We need to get back to doing what we have done before, being physical.

“You can’t feel sorry for yourself. We have a big game [the Betfred Cup quarter-final against Hearts at Tynecastle] in midweek.

“There are a lot better performances to come from our front players, we can do so much better.”