Glenn Roeder saw his side ride their luck to clinch a place in the Intertoto Cup and a chance of UEFA Cup qualification courtesy of Titus Bramble's 73rd-minute strike despite Stephen Carr's dismissal two minutes later.
It was a personal triumph for Roeder, who took his points tally to 32 from a possible 45 since replacing Graeme Souness as caretaker.
Roeder: "I feel exactly the same as I've always done when I come up here after we have won a game, very satisfied. It's a shame the season is finishing, isn't it? We have come from nowhere.
"They normally say there's a team that goes down that comes from nowhere in the middle of the table. But this time around, it's gone the other way, we have come from nowhere to get a stab at the UEFA Cup next year via the Intertoto. It's immensely important. There's a financial issue, which is always very important, and there's an issue that our fans - and rightly so - expect it.
"You can say it is only the Intertoto Cup, but nevertheless, it is an entry into the UEFA Cup and the fact that we have got a chance of playing in the UEFA Cup gives us a little bit more of an edge in attracting other players to come to the club in the summer."