The prize had been so long coming the champagne threatened to be as flat as a hedgehog under an HGV. But finally, on Saturday, Ayr celebrated winning their first-ever Scottish championship and, oblivious to the dire weather conditions which transformed Millbrae into a mud bath, their supporters rose to acclaim a team which has dominated the Premiership campaign and thoroughly merited their plaudits.

Yes, the manner of their coronation may have been more clinical than classical, but there is something special developing around the Ayr environs. Bolstered by their relentlessly perfectionist coach, Kenny Murray, and the efforts of an army of back-room visionaries, they have created a platform from which this should be only the first step in a triumphal march.

The sight, for instance, of the club's under-15s flinging the ball around with brio at half-time, served as a suitable riposte to those curmudgeons still inclined to dismiss Ayr as being overly dependent on their foreign imports. These youngsters have reached the Scottish Cup final and will tackle Stirling County at Murrayfield later this month, and more than 200 kids are turning up for training sessions in their wake, as a consequence of Murray and his lieutenants forging links with local schools, businesses and council officials, all of them establishing Ayr as a focal part of their community.

That helped explain why more than 1500 spectators packed into the ground, and the initial sense of nervousness - which was understandable, considering that Ayr had never before gained this honour in their 112-year history - rapidly disappeared as the hosts clicked into gear, dominated the forward exchanges, and amassed a 20-point lead by the interval, which meant that Accies were never in with a chance of spoiling the party.

Ayr's opening try was a superb illustration of their new-found expansiveness, with Frazier Climo's deft kick gathered by Florian Marin, as the prelude to Andrew Wilson being released for a sprint to the line. Climo subsequently slotted a brace of penalties and with Jeff Wilson, ploughing over for a second touchdown, the outcome was sealed.

Perhaps predictably, as the weather worsened, the second period was a tad anti-climactic. The home aficionados were desperate to crack open the bubbly, but any side coached by Ian Barnes will never stop battling and Accies earned some reward for their endeavours with a penalty from Mike Campbell and a last-gasp try from Ed Stuart, by which stage the bagpipers were already in the wings.

In the bigger picture, Murray recognises he will have to maintain his innovative strategies to avoid Ayr suffering the same problems as the two most recent champions, Currie and Boroughmuir, neither of whom has proved able to continue that momentum. But he is already on the case.

"You have to keep freshening things up and I will be looking to strengthen our squad, because some players will move on in the close season, and if you just stick with the same faces and tactics, other clubs will find ways to catch you up," said Murray yesterday. "I will also be working to improve our individual skills and raise the guys' fitness, but we shouldn't forget how far we have travelled in a short time.

"When I arrived here, maybe Ayr were known for sticking the ball up their jumpers, but our backs have secured around 70% of our tries, so we have clearly made progress. Ultimately, we have scored more points 500 and conceded fewer 167 than anybody else in the league, so I don't think anybody can say we don't deserve this."

The rapport between Kelly and Murray exemplifies why these Ayr men are flying. "After three or four games, I noticed a big change in the way we were playing and realised this was a special team and Kenny has done a great job," said the captain at the denouement.

The expression on his face, allied to the steely glint in his colleague's eyes, suggested this is merely the dawn of the Millbrae miracle.