Just like that, the waiting was over. A Harry Forrester pass down the right wing, a Jason Holt cross hit low and true – and a James Tavernier finish that finally, after much stubborn resistance, put Rangers on the road to a victory celebrated as wildly as any Ibrox has seen.
For long enough, it had looked as if Mark Warburton’s men were going to collect the Championship title by default, struggling to put away a doughty Dumbarton side yet inheriting the crown due to the failings of Hibernian.
Five minutes into the second half on a night of frenzied expectation, though, Tavernier struck with a goal that was ultimately needed. And one that transformed the mood completely.
Rangers were going to get the win that guaranteed their promotion to the nation’s elite division, rebranded but still recognisable to those who remember top-flight games at Ibrox pre-2012. It seems like a lifetime ago.
If Warburton’s men might have scored more, if they surely could have played with more panache and punch, it hardly mattered to the full house who had turned up solely to hail their conquering heroes.
Anticipation hung in the air, a craving for closure generating a tangible electric charge among fans who gathered knowing – believing beyond all doubt – that this was *the* night they’d been waiting for.
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