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Dundee did a first-half demolition job on a dreadful Motherwell outfit as the home side's miserable recent run continued in the Premiership.

An early Zak Jules own goal got Dee started but Louis Moult soon levelled.

The Well defence then went missing, with a Marcus Haber double and goals from Mark O'Hara and Craig Wighton making it 5-1 at half time.

The home side went close through Craig Clay and Chris Cadden but were unable to reduce the deficit.

In their three previous games, Well lost 3-0 to Hearts, 7-2 at Aberdeen and 2-0 at Celtic, while Dundee's victory was their second in succession following the 2-1 triumph over Rangers.

Centre back Zak Jules got things off to the worst possible start for Well with a own goal

The result was the biggest away win of the season in the Premiership and means Dundee remain in sixth spot, with Well now just two points clear of second-bottom Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Frown Jules

On-loan Reading defender Jules was in for the injured Stephen McManus and he made an early impact, although not one he would have wanted. It was a simple high ball into the box but Jules got his footing all wrong and looped a header over the advancing Craig Samson and into the net.

Moult's equaliser came midway through the half as he reacted quickest in the box to shoot low past Scott Bain from close range.

The visitors were moving the ball around efficiently and they were back in front when Haber fired a right-foot shot across Samson into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

Boos for Steelmen

Mark O'Hara made it 3-1 to Dundee in the first half

Mark O'Hara finished the third after excellent build-up play before former Well favourite Henrik Ojamaa set up Wighton to blast in number four.

Paul McGowan then curled an effort inches wide of Samson's left hand post as confidence flowed through Paul Hartley's Dundee dominant outfit.

With seconds remaining in the first half, a Wighton free-kick from the left found Haber totally unmarked at the back post and he duly nodded in the fifth for Dundee.

As the half time whistle blew the home fans' boos rung out around the stadium.

Away day joy for Dees

Dundee had not recorded an away win since the end of October, but Lanarkshire is clearly lucky for the Dens Park men as that triumph in October came at Hamilton.

Despite the four-goal deficit Motherwell returned for the second half with the same personnel and made a better impression, albeit against a Dundee side who had taken their foot off the gas.

Well's Craig Clay had two good efforts but Bain was up to the task, while Ojamaa had a couple of pot shots at the other end with no joy.

A group of Motherwell fans gathered outside Fir Park after full time to voice their displeasure with manager Mark McGhee

The home fans were furious at the end of the match as Motherwell face up to a relegation battle.

Manager reaction

Dundee boss Paul Hartley: "The first half we won the game with some outstanding play and goals, and carried it on from last week.

"We told them at half time to make sure we don't concede any goals. In the second half we didn't pass it as well and sometimes that happens when you have such a commanding lead, but overall the players were outstanding.

"We worked a little bit in the week about getting balls to the back to (Mark) O'Hara and (Marcus) Haber and that managed to pay off today, but the overall team performance was excellent."