Dundee United will be delighted with the point after being under the cosh for long spells.
It was actually United who started the brighter of the two sides being buoyed by the point they had taken from Celtic last week. Within three minutes Graeme Smith was forced to save at full stretch from a Prince Buaben piledriver.
The visitors came even closer in the 23rd minute when an attempted clearance by Stephen Craigan deflected off Roy O'Donovan into the path of Morgaro Gomis, whose flighted shot bounced clear off the post.
It was therefore a surprise when Motherwell took the lead with their first meaningful attack in the 34th minute. Paul Quinn's cross from the right edge of the box picked out Keith Lasley, whose return header into the six-yard box was bundled into the net for a debut goal from John Sutton.
The lead only lasted five minutes before United were deservedly back on level terms. Gomis sent in a cross from the left and as Smith hesitated Lee Wilkie rose to head home.
Motherwell started the second half the better side with Lukasz Zaluska saving from close range from a Chris Porter header.
The Pole was lucky minutes later as a Steven Hammell long ball eluded the defence to allow David Clarkson to run onto it. The striker's lobbed effort rebounded off the crossbar, before the keeper was forced to save from Porter on the rebound.
Well were then presented with a great opportunity to take the lead when Porter was bundled over by Garry Kenneth just outside the box. The striker took the kick himself, but Zaluska saved well diving to his left.
This did not deter the home side who pushed forward and Porter was unlucky on a couple of occasions, firstly slicing wide and then being denied by the assistant's offside flag.
In the final minute the home side should have sealed all three points when Quinn's cross picked out Marc Fitzpatrick at the back post, but he could only blast over.