The equation was simple. If we beat Ayr at Somerset and Dunfermline didn't win at Inverness Caley Thistle, we would be champions. Even if that didn't happen, we could still go up if Falkirk booked third place as that would ensure there were no play-offs.
I'd spent the last week on holiday and I must admit that every waking moment (and many sleeping ones) were spent thinking about this game. The unthinkable at the start of the season was unbelievably close to happening, surely to god we couldn't mess it all up now?
It was an early start for me as I was still on holiday in the Highlands, but we still made it to Ayr in plenty of time. Somerset was packed with Saints fans and there were two bits of unintentional pre-match entertainment. The first was when Tom Hendrie, practising his free-kicks before the game, whacked some poor person in the face. The second was when the Saints fans were told, by tannoy, to get away from the pie stall as it was on fire! Ah, don't you love our old fashioned grounds?
The first half was pretty much a non-event, Iain Nicolson going close with a bending effort for Saints. Just before the break, he was fouled in front of the visiting support by Neil Tarrant (no relation to Chris). Tom Hendrie went mental on the sidelines, as did the Saints fans, and the linesman in front of them wet himself before telling the referee that the naughty striker should be sent off. Ayr boss Gordon Dalziel complained, and off he went to the stands as well.
Half-time brought some bad news, and not just the fact it was about to start chucking it down and thunder and lightning was in the air. Dunfermline were 2-0 up. No title party today and it made things harder for next week's game against Raith.
But four minutes after the break it all changed. Barry McLaughlin laid the ball off to Junior Mendes who went scampering away before cracking in a shot via the post to open the scoring. Some rather excited Saints fans behind the goal ran onto the pitch, rather forgetting there were still 40 minutes left.
Ayr needed just two of them to equalise. David Craig hit the bar and, with keeper Ludo Roy and the defence at sixes and sevens, he popped in the rebound. The defence then had to be re-organised when Tommy Turner went off injured, with Paul McKnight the rather bizarre choice to replace him.
At this point, news began filtering through that Caley Thistle had made it 2-2 up north. It was pretty far fetched and no one was able to confirm it, but the Saints fans went with it and signalled the score to the players.
There was wave after wave of Saints attack for the rest of the game, although there were nerves on the few occasions Ayr broke forward. With this being typical Saints, you knew we'd do it the hard way - and with the season it had been, you knew the goal would come late...
And so to the 93rd minute. One last chance. Nicolson flighted in a free-kick and the Ayr keeper seemed to catch it, but then fumbled it loose. Trigger followed up, booting the ball and the keeper, leaving him injured on the deck. Normally, play would be stopped with the keeper injured, but incredibly it raged on. The Ayr defence tried to scramble it clear but only got it as far as McKnight. He played keepy-uppie with it before, with thousands of Saints fans screaming at him to shoot, he finally did. Time seemed to stand still before, unbelievably, the ball flew into the top corner.
It sparked pandemonium on the terraces. Hundreds of fans flocked onto the pitch. Others ran about the terracing, hugging each other. Flags, scarves, fans and players were everywhere. McKnight charged to celebrate with the bench, where some kill-joy linesman tried to stop him and failed spectacularly.
For the remaining few seconds, chants of "Championees" rang out from the Saints support and a huge roar greeted the final whistle. Then the tannoy went and ruined it all by saying Dunfermline had won 2-1. Where on earth had that rumour of 2-2 came from? As it happened, Falkirk had won and we were going up, but in true St. Mirren style that felt like a bit of a let down!
It is a day I will never forget, even though the result technically didn't earn us anything. I've had to wipe away tears just remembering it, and you can relive the goals at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYLkdzwjyUk
The result left us five points ahead of Dunfermline with just two games left. Win next week against Raith Rovers at home and we were champions. It turned out to be one heck of a party.