IN the end, Stuart McCall didn't have to hide any happiness over putting one over his old club.

Rather, his only emotion was raw relief that his current employers still have the slimmest chance in this play-off.

Had Darren McGregor not scored what on the night was a consolation with eight minutes remaining, then Rangers were staying down, even with another full match to play.

Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough got his tactics spot on.

McCall on the other hand now has it all to do.

To be blunt, Motherwell looked like a top tier team. Rangers did not.

For this play-off to go any other way than Motherwell staying up and Rangers remaining in the Championship would, on this evidence take something extraordinary to happen on Sunday at Fir Park.

If you ever wanted to know what noisy nerves sound like, then Ibrox last night was the place to be.

The stadium has not rocked like this in a long time, simply because it has been years since so much depended on a result.

But you could tell nobody was particularly confident. They were right to harbour such feelings.

Rangers actually settled quickest. There were some stray passes as you would expect.

However, one accurate one sent Lee Wallace scampering down the left, his cross was a good one and Motherwell keeper George Long was forced to palm the ball half clear to the edge of the box where Andy Murdoch was waiting, his shot was deflected over.

Motherwell responded and seconds later Marvin Johnson found space on the left.

He aimed a low cross to Lee Erwin which Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell read. A good job too as the striker was in the perfect position to score.

The first proper chance, however, arrived on 12 minutes.

Kenny Miller took a pass in midfield where Motherwell must have thought he would lay the ball off when instead he turned sharply, made ground, nutmegged Keith Lasley and then from 20 yards put bend on a shot that didn't quite bend enough by no more than a few inches.

Rangers went even closer on 21 minutes. They carved open Motherwell down the right as Haris Vuckic released Ricky Foster. His cross should have been sent miles by Stephen McManus, but he could only find Nicky Law inside the box, he shot and Long got both hands to the ball.

Motherwell had only Erwin upfront and this made it difficult at this stage for the visitors to retain any possession. So Erwin took things into his own hands and stunned Ibrox into silence bar the 950 supporting his team.

The lone forward did what good lone forwards are supposed to do by running off the back four to get space and time on the ball which he should not have had.

Having made his way into the Rangers box, Marius Zaliukas came across to mark him, Erwin cut in on his left and the resultant shot came off McGregor's leg on its way into the net. Bell had it covered all the way so it went down as an own goal.

Erwin should have scored a second not long afterwards when he had a free header from a Johnson corner which he got all wrong.

Rangers should have scored on 33 minutes. A Vuckic corner fell loose in the box, Law had a shot and Long saved when he was falling backwards, and they were made to pay for this lack of guile in the opposition penalty box because a golden moment arrived for McManus on 40 minutes.

Wallace's stray arm brought down McDonald near the right touchline, Johnson took the free-kick, a wonderful cross with his left foot, and there was the former Celtic captain to head home Well's second goal.

The Motherwell defender did miss a header before half-time, allowing Clark a header which he put wide, and then McManus took a risk with a headed back pass which Miller fancied getting, but Long came out and cleared the ball and cleared out the Rangers striker.

The game, and maybe the tie, was settled 90 seconds after the break.

Stephen Pearson won a loose ball in the centre circle and broke with some purpose.

He passed to Erwin who brilliantly found the clever run of Lionel Ainsworth, he took a touch and then sent his shot low into the net. There was a sense of disbelief all around for different reasons.

Tom Walsh came on for Dean Shiels and then Kris Boyd replaced Clark in the hope the poacher of old could be given one more outing.

But Motherwell should have killed it stone dead on 66 minutes when Johnson tormented Law, who ended up falling over, and his cross was blasted over by Ainsworth from 10 yards with the goal at his mercy.

Boyd thought he's found a lifeline when he got a lot on Foster's cross, but his header was well saved by Long.

That lifeline, however, did come when McGregor headed home a Law corner.

The fact many Rangers fans had already left tells you everything about the match. Not only did they miss the goal, but also McManus coming close to an own goal in injury-time.

But hope remains for them. Just. It is, however, now Motherwell's to lose.