TALK about saving the best until last.

It is not always easy being a fan of a Scottish football, when you follow the fortunes of Hibernian and Rangers especially, and there are frequent occasions when supporters question the point of it all.

But remarkable games like the one witnessed in Edinburgh yesterday – the most exciting of the 2017/18 campaign by some considerable distance and one of the most memorable ever - make it all worthwhile.

The final Ladbrokes Premiership meeting of the season between the Easter Road club and their Ibrox rivals was an absolutely extraordinary affair; there were no fewer than 10 goals, a stunning fightback, a hat-trick, an injury-time equaliser, eight bookings and two orderings off.

At this late stage in the season, players, managers and paying spectators are looking forward to taking a well-earned break and doing something else with their weekends. After this, though, they will be counting the days until the start of the 2018/19 campaign.

This has been another bitterly disappointing and trophyless season for Rangers and even their bid to come second ahead of Aberdeen in the top flight table – a scant consolation for such a proud and successful club - ended in failure.

But they finished on something of a high nevertheless by producing an extraordinary comeback against a Hibs side seeking to edge ahead of them on goal difference and snatch their automatic European spot away. Certainly, their players were give a standing ovation at the end of 90 coruscating minutes by their supporters.

Hibs needed, after their painful midweek loss to city rivals Hearts at Tynecastle had left them three points behind their opponents, a 6-0 triumph to come third. It was, despite their excellent record against them this term and the difficulties the visitors were experiencing, always unlikely.

Yet, when they forged three in front after just 22 minutes courtesy of a Florian Kamberi penalty, close-range Scott Allan strike and a Jamie Maclaren header, it appeared a very real possibility.

That prospect, though, was short-lived. Rangers responded brilliantly. Two goals from James Tavernier and Jordon Rossiter in the space of three minutes left the home team facing an impossible task.

When Bruno Alves, who had come on for Sean Goss in a tactical change by interim manager Jimmy Nicholl after 28 minutes, whipped a stunning free-kick into the top left corner six minutes before half-time to make it 3-3 it killed off their hopes of leapfrogging the away team on goal difference in the table.

Jason Holt and Josh Windass, who came on for Jason Cummings up front, made it 5-3 in the second-half and it looked as if they had secured a famous win. But Holt managed to get him-self ordered off for a unnecessary challenge on John McGinn. Hibs benefitted from their nu-merical advantage.

Maclaren, who had made it 5-4 with 20 minutes remaining to give his team hope they could salvage a draw and a little pride, fired into the roof of the net in the fourth minute of injury time after some good work down the left by Brandon Barker.

That was the cue for Neil Lennon to run onto the pitch and do an aeroplane goal celebration in front of the Rangers fans who had been hectoring him throughout the match. Fourth official Bobby Madden promptly ushered him up the tunnel. It was, as they say, the tin lid on it.

It had been extraordinary viewing. This encounter will live long in the memory of anybody fortunate enough to have been present. It screened live across the United Kingdom by BT Sport and was an excellent advertisement for Scottish football.

It was hardly a nice quiet game for Neil Lennon, the Hibs head coach who had been posted missing for two days after threatening to stand down in the wake of the Hearts reverse, to ease his way back into management in.

Lennon certainly received an effusive welcome from the home support. “There’s only one Neil Lennon,” rang out around the ground shortly after kick-off and then intermittently throughout the first half while his charges dominated. It is no wonder he will stay on after receiving such a public show of backing.

Amid all of the marvellous mayhem, the fact that Rossiter, the former Liverpool player who made his first appearance since coming on as a substitute against Ross County away on August 27 and his first start since featuring against Dunfermline on August 9, went almost over-looked.

Rossiter has endured a horrendous time with injuries since signing two seasons ago and his delight at scoring what was his first goal in this country was unconfined. He displayed great composure and technique to slot a Murphy through ball beyond Ofi Marciano from an acute angle.

The slight midfielder, who was tipped for great things when he was coming through at Anfield, was replaced by Lee Hodson in the 68th minute, but he did enough to suggest he will feature more regularly after Steven Gerrard, another former Liverpool player, takes over in the summer.

Nicholl has no future under Gerrard, who has appointed Gary McAllister as his assistant, but on the evidence of this match he would have much to offer going forward. The experienced Northern Irishman has transformed players who embarrassed themselves and their clubs in heavy defeats to Celtic last month.