Ten-man Motherwell secured fourth spot in the Scottish Premiership and guaranteed European football with a narrow win over Hibernian, who now need Celtic to win the Scottish Cup to join the Steelmen in the Conference League qualifiers.
Following a trademark spell of possession and movement from the men in claret and amber, Lukas Fadinger's deflected shot put them ahead 10 minutes before the break, eventually confirming Hibs in fifth spot and out of the automatic European places.
It was no more than they deserved, after shots from Elijah Just, Regan Charles-Cook and a diving header from Tawanda Maswanhise all went narrowly wide prior to Fadinger's opener.
Boosted pre-match by the surprise news that star man Martin Boyle had signed a new one-year deal having initially indicated he'd be moving on, the home fans had little else to cheer in an insipid Hibernian display.
They'll still be looking out their passports next season, however, if Celtic beat Dunfermline Athletic next weekend to lift the Scottish Cup. That scenario would allow the fifth placed side in the Premiership to qualify for Europe.
But for their goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger, Hibs' afternoon could have been even worse.
A terrific double save early in the second period denied Maswanhise and then Just, while an even better stop kept out Callum Slattery's volley, which appeared destined for the bottom right-hand corner.
Motherwell then thought they had doubled their advantage when Stephen Welsh headed into an empty net after a corner was pawed in the air by Sallinger, but the effort was ruled out for a foul after referee Nick Walsh was called to the monitor by the video assistant referee (VAR).
The visitors then had to play the last 25 minutes with 10 men after Elliot Watt picked up two quick yellow cards, the second for catching Hibs midfielder Miguel Chaiwa.
A fabulous goalline block from Tom Sparrow frustrated Hibs substitute Dane Scarlett, before yet another superb stop from Sallinger denied Motherwell's Ibrahim Said.
The success meant Jens Berthel Askou's debut season in Scottish football ended with a fine fourth-placed finish, adding to the superb football his side has produced in an entertaining, utterly compelling Premiership campaign.
For Hibs, hopes of consecutive top-four finishes for the first time since 2006 fall flat and they will now have a keen interest in next weekend's Scottish Cup final.
