Hibernian - 0 Rangers - 1: This was a title race that eclipsed even the one staged two years ago when Rangers became champions by just one goal. Then there was always the possibility of Ibrox success on the final day: yesterday it proved the most improbable of triumphs.
For 88 minutes the helicopter carrying the league trophy had its flight plan laid out to reach deepest Lanarkshire with Celtic leading at Motherwell, but then the away fans' section at Easter Road that had been goaded into silence by the Hibs supporters after Chris Sutton's goal at Fir Park, erupted at the news of Scott McDonald's equaliser.
Rangers' supporters sang and danced and even their players briefly began a jig of joy before remembering that there were two minutes left in both matches and realising that, on the previous evidence of a rollercoaster season, anything could still happen.
The match in Edinburgh finally petered out with Hibs content to be beaten by only a single goal. Coupled with Aberdeen's failure to score enough goals in their win over Hearts, the result was enough to secure a Uefa Cup place next season.
As the final whistle sounded the Premier League's helicopter had to be rapidly rerouted to the capital, so it was some time before the trophy was delivered and presented. In the interim Hibs did their own lap of honour.
Finally the Ibrox players reappeared and again the blue end of Easter Road became a ecstatic seething mass.
The actual presentation was somewhat lost in the mayhem as players were given their medals and eventually the trophy, when, perhaps for the first time, the entire Rangers squad suddenly understood what had been achieved on a day that had begun as a mission improbable.
They had travelled to Edinburgh knowing that even a win might not be sufficient, although they were professional enough to achieve that first objective through Novo's 59th-minute strike at the end of the one genuinely decent move of the match.
Otherwise it was a scrappy affair in which the Hibs' quartet of Scott Brown, Ian Murray, Derek Riordan and Guillaume Beuzelin joined Novo in the referee's notebook.
The Spaniard's 25th goal of the season sparked celebrations of a sort but it was the overhead kick 30 miles away by an Australian two minutes from the end of the league season that really got the party going.
The question now is when will it stop?
McLeish said beforehand that whatever happened on the final day he was pleased with the progress of a team that last season had lost out on the championship by 17 points.
Pleased would not begin to describe his emotions this morning.
HIBERNIAN: Simon Brown, Whittaker, Caldwell, Smith, Ian Murray, Sproule (Shiels 65), Scott Brown, Beuzelin (Antonio Murray 74), Glass, O'Connor (Konte 68), Riordan. Subs Not Used: Alistair Brown, Hogg, Murphy, Morrow. Booked: Beuzelin, Ian Murray, Riordan, Scott Brown.
RANGERS: Waterreus, Ricksen, Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Ball, Arveladze, Ferguson, Alex Rae, Buffel, Prso, Novo. Subs Not Used: McGregor, Thompson, Malcolm, Burke, McCormack, Steven Smith, Lovenkrands. Booked: Novo. Goals: Novo 59 (mins).
Referee: K Clark (Scotland).
