To no-one's surprise Motherwell Manager (and former Celtic player) Mark McGhee fielded a full-strength side - unlike two weeks ago when he fielded a deliberately-weakened team against Celtic. Such behaviour, if it should hand Celtic the League title, has destroyed any concept of sporting integrity and fairness - as has the manipulation of the fixture schedule by the SPL, hand-in-hand with Celtic.
Rangers Manager Walter Smith made five changes from Manchester with Nacho Novo, Christian Dailly, Charlie Adam, Daniel Cousin and Lee McCulloch replacing Sasa Papac, Brahim Hemdani, Kevin Thomson, Steven Davis and Jean-Claude Darcheville.
A one-minute round of applause in memory of the late Tommy Burns was immaculately observed prior to kick-off.
On a truly dreadful pitch, the visitors were on the attack right from the opening seconds.
The home side have been susceptible to cross balls, particularly at corner kicks, all season - and this was all too obvious in sixteen minutes when Novo's inswinging corner was touched over by Graeme Smith.
Four minutes later Novo's eighteen-yard shot from a Ferguson pass was deflected wide of the target.
It was all Rangers at this stage - Cousin's 22-yard drive from a McCulloch lay-off being held by Graeme Smith in 23 minutes.
The opening goal duly arrived five minutes later - and again it underlined 'Well's weakness in the air - Kirk Broadfoot's long ball being headed home by Dailly with the home goalkeeper floundering as he came out to fist clear.
The Fir Park men came into the game as the interval approached - indeed a mix-up between Broadfoot and Neil Alexander in 36 minutes was comical as the full-back headed the ball out for a corner.
Five minutes later Alexander was tested for the first time when he touched over Brian McLean's shot from a Stephen Hughes pass.
Rangers were well in command at the interval, and Cousin should have killed the game stone dead sixty seconds after the restart when he was clean through following a Mark Reynolds slip - only for Graeme Smith to block his effort.
It was a miss that may well cost the Ibrox men the championship - for within three minutes the scores were level when Chris Porter netted from point-blank range after Derek Clarkson's header had come back off an upright.
Rangers tried to respond immediately with Cousin's twenty-yard drive being held by Graeme Smith, then Adam's 25-yard free-kick flashing inches wide two minutes later.
Adam again came close in 63 minutes when his angled drive from Broadfoot's crossfield pass was beaten away by the 'Well goalkeeper.
Two minutes later Davis replaced McCulloch.
The game erupted in controversy in 67 minutes when Stephen Craigan, already on a yellow card, scythed down Cousin. Astonishingly Referee John Underhill awarded a foul, but did not produce a second yellow.
Five minutes later Steven McGarry pushed David Weir to the ground - and incredibly the referee, no doubt afraid of intimidation and assaults by Celtic fans, took no action.
Darcheville replaced Adam in 76 minutes, and six minutes later Boyd substituted for Novo - but time had run out on Rangers.
Afterwards Walter Smith reflected:
"We started the game very well, and Daniel Cousin's chance would have killed it - the miss gave Motherwell a lift. We didn't do enough to get another goal. Now we must concentrate on winning on Monday."
MOTHERWELL G. Smith; McLean, Craigan, Reynolds, Hammell; D. Smith (Fitzpatrick 65), Hughes, Lasley, McGarry; Porter, Clarkson (Murphy 74)
UNUSED SUBS Daniels, Lappin, McCormack, Connolly, Meechan
RANGERS Alexander; Broadfoot, Cuellar, Weir, Whittaker; McCulloch (Davis 65), Ferguson, Dailly, Adam (Darcheville 76); Novo (Boyd 82), Cousin,
UNUSED SUBS G. Smith, Furman, McMillan, Fleck
REFEREE John Underhill