Plymouth have clinched promotion to Division One after two late goals downed plucky Rangers at Home Park.
After a nervous first half performance, the visitors were much improved in the second period, but couldn't take their chances.
In the end Plymouth won because they were more clinical in front of goal and as the final whistle blew, the Pilgrims' Green Army erupted to acclaim their promotion heroes.
For Rangers, news of Bristol City's inability to break down Brighton will have provided some crumb of comfort.
It now means that Rangers will secure promotion next weekend if they beat Swindon and the Robins fail to win at Barnsley.
But that is for next week...
On a sun-drenched day in the south west, Rangers had welcomed back four players - Padula, Carlisle, Johnson and Rowlands - for the game against title-chasing Plymouth.
A packed Home Park came in hope, and possibly expectation, of glory for the Pilgrims and Plymouth's determination was clear from the off, with Lee Hodges booked in only the second minute for a scything foul on Marc Bircham.
The first chance of the game fell to the home side in the sixth minute when David Norris met Mickey Evans' flick on with a shot that flew wide of Lee Camp's left hand post.
This signalled a period of superiority for Plymouth with Evans and Marino Keith giving the Rangers rearguard plenty to think about in the first 10 minutes.
When the visitors got hold of the ball in the opening stages their approach play showed some promise, but without a final product to encourage the 2000 visiting fans.
Then, on 13 minutes, the Pilgrims so nearly took the lead. Evans met a cross from the left with a firm header that looked destined to hit the back of the net. But Lee Camp flung himself to his right and pulled off an outstanding save.
Four minutes later a ball over the top from Gareth Ainsworth gave Kevin
Gallen, and Rangers, their first sight of goal. But Rangers' leading scorer couldn't bring the ball down in time and Hasney Aljofree was able to shepherd the ball back to Luke McCormick in the Plymouth goal.
The Pilgrims then went straight down the other end and saw a Keith bicycle kick slide narrowly wide of the Rangers goal.
The home crowd were boosted and it was clear, as the first half approached the midway point, that Plymouth had settled quicker and were playing the better football.
But as the half hour approached, Rangers enjoyed a better spell and when Marc Bircham won Rangers a corner, Clarke Carlisle got in ahead of the Pilgrims keeper but couldn't keep his header down.
Nevertheless, Plymouth were soon back on the offensive and Lee Camp had to turn a Gilbert shot from distance round the post. The Rangers defence needed to be on their mettle with Rose and Carlisle dealing well with the pressure as the sun beat down on Home Park.
With six minutes of the half remaining another Plymouth shot flashed wide of the visitors' goal. Lee Hodges met an Rs clearance with a sweet volley from 20 yards out that had hearts in Rangers' mouths.
Then, two minutes later, Rangers repeated the dose at the other end when Bircham teed himself up before unleashing a cleanly hit volley that McCormick gathered comfortably.
Rangers were seeing more of the play as the half-time whistle blew, but the home side would have been content with their efforts.
Nevertheless, The Rs began the second half in purposeful fashion and when a Gallen free kick was cleared, Martin Rowlands screwed his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
Plymouth almost compounded his despair at the other end, with Keith racing through only to see his shot blocked by Camp.
Then a minute later a Plymouth free kick found Lee Hodges completely unmrked at the far post. He had time to pick his spot but could only direct his header in to Lee Camp's hands.
Three minutes gone in the second half and three good chances - but the early drama wasn't finished. Rangers' best move of the game so far ended with Ainsworth breaking clear on the right hand side and firing in a low cross that Connolly did well to scramble behind.
This was much better from Rangers, and the visitors began playing the ball around with more conviction, testing the Plymouth reargurd in ways they had not encountered in the first half.
On 63 minutes, Rangers won a free kick on the edge of the area after a foul on Bircham. Rowlands' shot took a deflection and McCormick was a relieved man when the ball drifted narrowly wide of his left hand post as he dived the other way.
Plymouth continued to exert their on pressure and Padula was booked for arguing when Plymouth earned themselves a 69th minute corner. Moments later, Steve Palmer came on for the impressive, but battered, Marc Bircham.
Five minutes later it was Gareth Ainsworth's turn to find his way in to Paul Durkin's notebook after a late challenge on Aljofree and within a further two minutes, Gallen was also booked for an equally poor challenge on Peter Gilbert.
The tension was mounting and the pressure on both sides was clear.
Then on 78 minues leading scorer David Friio wrestled free and looked favourite to score only for the impressive Camp to smother at point blank range.
But two minutes later Evans produced a hammer blow to the visiting side, scoring the goal that took Plymouth to the brink of promotion.
Norris crossed from the right and Evans rose to head powerfully past Camp.
After an improved second half performance from Rangers this was harsh on the visitors and Ian Holloway reacted immediately with a double substitution - bringing on Cureton and McLeod for Johnson and Ainsworth.
But it mattered little. With five minutes of normal time remaining Friio raced clear and clipped the ball over Camp to make it two. Plymouth's promotion ws now secured and Rangers attentions, amongst the fans at least, turned to events at Ashton Gate.
Rangers: Camp, Edghill, Padula, Rose, Carlisle, Ainsworth, Bircham (Palmer), Johnson, Rowlands, Gallen, Furlong
unused subs: Day, McLeod, Thorpe, Cureton
Goals: -
Bookings: Padula, Ainsworth, Gallen
Plymouth: McCormick, Connolly, Hodges, Friio, Coughlan, Norris, Keith (Lowndes), Aljofree, Gilbert, Evans, Capaldi
unused subs: Larrieu, Sturrock, Wotton, Phillips
Goals: Evans (80), Friio (85)
Bookings: Hodge