Rangers slumped to their first domestic defeat of the season and their first at Love Street for fully 22 years when they went down to a shock 0-1 defeat to St. Mirren in Paisley this afternoon, a loss that means they are now level on points with Celtic in the League race.
The Ibrox men got few breaks during play, but that should not disguise what was a grim display just seven days after putting in such an impressive performance against Hibernian.
St. Mirren Park, Paisley was of course the venue of Walter Smith's very first game as Rangers Manager back in April 1991 when a Sandy Robertson goal ensured a crucial 1-0 win - and for today's historic game, almost certainly the last visit by the Light Blues to the Love Street ground, there was just one change in the visitors' line-up from Easter Road, a surprise one at that with Allan McGregor returning in goal in place of Neil Alexander, who was named as a substitute.
The Light Blue legions were out in force despite the astronomical admission prices, but there was a pathetic turn-out of home fans with huge gaps amongst their support.
The game took a long time to warm up with the home side playing a defensive 5-3-2 formation - the first incident of note coming in 24 minutes when Gary Mason's miss-placed pass allowed Kevin Thomson to thunder in a twenty-yard drive that was beaten out by home goalkeeper Mark Howard.
Thomson again threatened fourteen minutes later when his surging run through the middle was touched over by Howard.
Rangers finished the half on top - with Charlie Adam's flick from a Steve Davis corner inches wide - but a poor first-half ended goalless.
Another corner three minutes after the restart - taken this time by Adam - might have produced the opening goal only for Madjid Bougherra to head over.
It was all Rangers - Jean-Claude Darcheville's 25-yard drive from an Adam pass being held by Howard in 52 minutes.
The visitors suffered an injury blow six minutes later when Thomson was carried off to be replaced by Kyle Lafferty, then shortly thereafter Kris Boyd substituted for Darcheville.
Boyd almost made an immediate impact when his header from a Kirk Broadfoot cross was held by Howard in 74 minutes.
The deadlock was broken two minutes later - but unbelievably it came at the other end when Saints scored with their first - and as it happens - only shot on target of the entire game, home substitute Stephen McGinn curling the ball home from the edge of the box after taking possession from a Billy Mehmet header.
Rangers laid siege to the home goal in the dying minutes, leaving one to ponder why they had not done so earlier.
A Boyd header from a Papac cross in 86 minutes came back off the post with Howard beaten, then sixty seconds later an Adam corner produced an almighty scramble in front of the Saints goal with firstly Lafferty's header blocked on the line by Steven Robb, then incredibly Boyd, David Weir and Kenny Miller all having efforts blocked on the line - on at least one occasion by a defender's hand. Referee Willie Collum waved play on however...
Rangers came back once again - with Davis' angled drive in 88 minutes diverted wide by Howard's legs, then from the resultant Davis corner Broadfoot's header was headed off the line.
Three minutes of injury time were allowed by Willie Collum - an absurd amount considering there had been five second-half substitutions as well as the Kevin Thomson injury that should have added at least another three.
Deep into injury time, Broadfoot was scythed down in the penalty area - but it was no surprise that the referee waved play on.
The final whistle sounded soon afterwards, and Rangers' final visit to Love Street had yielded their first defeat of the League season.
Afterwards a disappointed Walter Smith reflected:
"St. Mirren were well organised. We started poorly and lacked a cutting edge, creating few chances."
ST. MIRREN Howard; Ross, Potter, Cuthbert, Haining, Robb; Brady (Murray 85), Mason, Dorman (McGinn 71); Wyness (Dargo 71), Mehmet
UNUSED SUBS Smith, Brighton, Hamilton, McAusland
RANGERS McGregor; Broadfoot, Weir, Bougherra, Papac; Davis, Mendes, Thomson (Lafferty 58), Adam; Miller, Darcheville (Boyd 65)
UNUSED SUBS Alexander, Beasley, Dailly, Aaron, Loy
REFEREE Willie Collum