It will be a long time before referee Alan Freeland is welcomed back to Rugby Park.
He sent off three Ayrshire men, booked four more and denied them an equalising penalty to leave the home fans fuming.
Six players had been booked in what was not a dirty contest and it was no surprise to see the red card produced early in the second.
Gary Locke's home debut ended when he was adjudged to have caught Derek Adams in the face with his elbow.
It seemed a harsh decision but Andy McLaren should have known better than to mouth off so vociferously five minutes after the incident for him to see red as well.
Motherwell made the vital breakthrough in the 66th minute when Dirk Lehmann knocked down David Partridge's deep cross and Frederic Dindeleux couldn't make up the ground to block Dougie Ramsay's rasping shot which flew into the bottom corner of Gordon Marshall's net.
Killie refused to lie down and forced Motherwell back for long spells.
Alan Mahood should have equalised but was denied by a Steve Woods point-blank save.
The home fans felt their side should have had a penalty in the 74th minute when Peter Canero was bundled over but Freeland waved play on.
The home effort took its toll in the 83rd minute when Sean Hessey failed to clear his lines and Stephen Pearson kept his head to stroll through to beat Marshall.
Jesus Sanjuan was next to be sent off in the 85th minute when he brought down Keith Lasley when he was set to score, but the goal was only delayed as James McFadden stepped up to place the free-kick perfectly in the top corner