Kevin Kyle's late winner for Kilmarnock against Inverness released the tension around the south Lanarkshire ground as the supporters, players and officials realised they were safe from the drop.
But on the field, Motherwell asked far more questions than Hamilton had answers and in the end were the superior side.
Hamilton actually started the stronger side with Joel Thomas setting up James McCarthy after just four minutes, but Brian McLean rushed across to brilliantly block.
Seconds later Thomas sent a high ball across the pitch to James McArthur on the left and he drove in before seeing his shot blocked at the near post.
Motherwell's Slovakia midfielder Maros Klimpl tried his luck from 20 yards but his drive flashed wide of the left post.
But the visitors took the lead on 22 minutes when Cillian Sheridan raced down the left and drew a save from Tomas Cerny at his near post, gathered the rebound and picked out David Clarkson, who made no mistake.
Hamilton nearly levelled after 29 minutes when Mark McLaughlin latched onto Derek Lyle's free-kick from the left, but Graeme Smith brilliantly blocked.
Accies then had penalty claims waved away just before half-time when Lyle's shot looked to have been handled on the line by McLean.
Hamilton threatened first in the second half when Simon Mensing and Thomas overlapped on the right wing, but the latter's shot flashed high and wide.
And Motherwell hit Hamilton with a second sucker punch on 58 minutes when Stephen Hughes raced down the right and his cutback was spilled by Cerny into the path of Sheridan, who made no mistake.
Accies threw on assistant manager Stuart Taylor after 77 minutes and he nearly got on the scoresheet just seconds later, sending a fierce drive just over.
Hughes had a 19-yard snap-shot well held by Cerny, albeit at the second attempt, after 84 minutes.
But the Steelmen wrapped up the points in the 86th minute when Sheridan picked out John Sutton and the sub rammed the ball home.