Dundee emerged from Fir Park with a professional and clinical victory over listless Motherwell.

Despite the wide winning margin, the Taysiders could have embarrassed their hosts with an even bigger scoreline.

As it was they had to settle for a double from influential Spaniard Juan Sara and a goal by Scotland under-21 star Gavin Rae to fully revenge Motherwell's win early in the season at Dens Park.

At last the Dark Blues can point to three points after playing some solid and effective football rather than the enterprising tactics which have failed to produce results in recent weeks.

It was certainly a case of Boxing Day blues for their chief Billy Davies as he can seldom have seen his team slump so badly in front of their home support.

Sara's stamped his authority on affairs as early as the third minute when he opened the scoring.

The Spaniard's raking run from half-way took him through the virtually non-existent home defence and once he rounded Andy Goram, he was able to slide the ball home.

Motherwell's best chance of the whole afternoon came in the 18th minute, when full-back Martyn Corrigan fastened onto a long, accurate pass by Scott Leitch and from a narrow angle his drive smacked off the base of the post.

For a few minutes at least there was a bout of pressure by the Steelmen, Stuart Elliott had a good header saved by the impressive Marco Roccati.

But just past the half hour, Motherwell were near to pay for their inability to convert their chances when they were sucked into conceding a second goal.

Rae planted home a superbly placed header from close-range after getting on the end of Steven Milne's cross.

The second-half was disfigured by a rash of bookings - Dundee had six cautions in all - and in the 53rd minute Marcello Marrocco was given his marching orders, the Italian receiving his second yellow for a foul on Motherwell substitute Keith Lasley.

Four minutes later he was followed down the tunnel by opposing striker Steve Nicholas, the Motherwell player dismissed for clashing with Steven Tweed, as tempers were beginning to fray in the fog-bound conditions.

Amid a smattering of bookings, the visitors put the seal on the afternoon with another well taken strike.

Again, Sara began the move, beginning an intelligent one-two which took Rae coursing down the right.

From the midfielder's low cross Sara had continued his run to tap the ball home in a classic counter-attack with left Motherwell reeling.

Motherwell could only look to substitute James McFadden for a couple of half chances towards the end, but their overall performance was as lame as Dundee's was efficient.

Motherwell: Goram, Corrigan, Kemble, Strong (McFadden 71), Hammell, Nicholas, McClen (Lasley 50), Leitch, McMillan, Spencer, Elliott.

Subs Not Used: Woods, Ramsey, Oueifio.

Sent Off: Nicholas (57).

Booked: Spencer.

Dundee: Roccati, Del Rio, Marrocco, Tweed, Smith, Carranza (Artero 66), Nemsadze, Rae, McSkimming, Sara (Falconer 76), Milne (Bonetti 55).

Subs Not Used: Langfield, Mackay.

Sent Off: Marrocco (53).

Booked: Rae, Marrocco, Sara, Tweed, Del Rio.

Goals: Sara 4, Rae 35, Sara 69.

Att: 6,183

Ref: D McDonald (Scotland).