Dundee emerged from a three-week break to sweep Motherwell aside in the cinch Premiership at Dens Park.
The Dark Blues established a commanding first-half lead thanks to goals from Luke McCowan and Danny Mullen before adding a third shortly after the interval through Ryan Sweeney.
The result brought the Steelmen's two-game winning run to an end, with Dundee now three points clear of Ross County at the bottom of the table.
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How Dundee eased to victory...
Prior to kick-off, there was a minute's silence in memory of former Dundee player Doug Cowie, who passed away at the age of 95.
Both teams took a while to get into their stride, with the first attempt on goal not arriving until the 13th minute when home winger Paul McMullan had a shot from the edge of the Motherwell box deflected for a corner.
There was a clearer-cut opportunity shortly after when Dundee's Paul McGowan fed Mullen inside the Motherwell box with the striker's shot being well saved by keeper Liam Kelly.
However, Kelly was helpless to prevent James McPake's men taking the lead on 19 minutes.
Jordan Marshall cut the ball back to McCowan, who took his time to manufacture space for himself before rifling a shot low past Kelly into the bottom corner.
The home side were well on top and had another great opportunity to double their advantage when McMullan swung a corner in from the left, with Lee Ashcroft sending a bullet header goalward but Kelly pulled off a vital, instinctive save.
However, Dundee deservedly increased their lead in the 25th minute when skipper Charlie Adam produced a clever pass to McCowan, who teed up Mullen to fire past Kelly despite the keeper getting a hand to the shot.
Motherwell boss Graham Alexander made a double change at half-time with Jordan Roberts and Kevin van Veen coming on for Connor Shields and Liam Grimshaw.
The changes almost had an immediate effect just two minutes after the restart as Van Veen was presented with a chance inside the Dundee box but the Dutch striker's shot cannoned off the post.
Dundee made it three on 49 minutes. Adam delivered a free-kick from the right, with the ball turned back across goal by Ashcroft towards his central defensive partner Sweeney, who netted from close range.
Motherwell's Tony Watt had a chance to pull one back but Dundee keeper Adam Legzdins, who had little to do all afternoon, made a fine stop to deny the striker.
However, the Dark Blues comfortably saw out the game to secure a vital three points.
What the managers said...
Dundee boss James McPake: "I think it was a fitting tribute to the club's record appearance holder.
"You could feel the atmosphere in the stands before the game. We used it in our team talk for Doug and the result was a fitting tribute to a real legend at this football club. First and foremost that's at the top of our minds and that's what the win was for.
"There has to be a special mention to my coaching staff because I haven't been here for the last two days.
"So maybe I should just stay away and turn up on a Saturday! But credit to them as I have been off ill."
Motherwell boss Graham Alexander: "Everything we were last week, we weren't today in all the basics of football.
"I thought we were at 80 per cent and if we think that 80 per cent is good enough then hopefully today we will learn it is not.
"Every single challenge, action and thought process was clearly not good enough and that's from the start, not just the first goal.
"We didn't approach the game the way we did in the previous two.
"The only thing I can look at is mindset. It is not the first time we have thrown in a performance like that against a team that is struggling at the bottom of the league.
"We have seen the heights that this team can reach, last week against Hearts and before that against Aberdeen but we have shown the ugly side of us today."
What's next?
Dundee host St Johnstone on Wednesday; kick-off 7.45pm, while, Motherwell are at home to Dundee United on Tuesday; kick-off 7.45pm.