Celtic Edge Out St Mirren to Maintain Pressure on Hearts

Celtic secured a narrow 1-0 victory over St Mirren to remain in close pursuit of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts. A first-half strike by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was enough to propel Martin O'Neill's side into second place, three points adrift of Hearts, who claimed a late win over Motherwell. Despite a strong start, Celtic struggled to find their rhythm, with Oxlade-Chamberlain's 15th-minute goal, which came after an earlier effort was ruled out for offside, proving the decisive moment. The hosts created several chances to extend their lead but were unable to capitalize, with substitute Kelechi Iheanacho spurning a gilt-edged opportunity in the second half. St Mirren, meanwhile, were limited to a solitary shot on target, with Celtic ultimately grinding out a hard-fought win. This encounter marked the first meeting between the sides since St Mirren's surprise 3-1 win in the Premier Sports Cup final in December, but a repeat of that outcome never seemed likely. The Green Brigade, returning to Celtic Park for the first time since November, were in fine voice, setting the tone for next week's Scottish Cup semi-final. After a period of relentless pressure, Celtic thought they had taken the lead when Callum McGregor's shot was parried and Oxlade-Chamberlain buried the rebound, only for the offside flag to intervene. St Mirren's Jonah Ayunga and Miguel Freckleton both had early efforts, but Celtic took the lead when Benjamin Nygren found McGregor, whose shot was blocked, and Kieran Tierney picked out Oxlade-Chamberlain to rifle home. Tomas Cvancara nearly doubled the lead, but his collision with goalkeeper Shamal George, who was subsequently replaced by Ryan Mullen, prevented a second goal. The second half was a more subdued affair, with Iheanacho missing a prime opportunity at the near post. St Mirren's Jacob Devaney and Roland Idowu both tried their luck from distance, but Celtic held firm to claim a crucial victory. Martin O'Neill expressed concerns over his side's energy levels, while St Mirren boss Craig McLeish rued his team's inability to create clear-cut chances.