Celtic have retained their pursuit of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts with a narrow 1-0 triumph over St Mirren. A solitary first-half strike from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain proved sufficient for Martin O'Neill's team to surpass Rangers and claim the second spot, now trailing Hearts by three points after the latter's last-minute win over Motherwell. Despite an initial burst of energy, Celtic's performance was underwhelming, with Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring the decisive goal in the 15th minute after an earlier attempt was disallowed for offside. The hosts struggled to extend their lead, with substitute Kelechi Iheanacho squandering the best opportunity to seal the win.
St Mirren, on the other hand, managed only a single shot on target. This encounter marked the first meeting between the two teams since St Mirren's surprising 3-1 victory in the Premier Sports Cup last December. The Green Brigade, back at Celtic Park for the first time since November, created an electric atmosphere in a dress rehearsal for the upcoming Scottish Cup semi-final. Following a period of relentless pressure, Celtic thought they had taken an early lead, only to be denied by an offside flag.
As the match progressed, St Mirren's Jonah Ayunga and Miguel Freckleton attempted to make an impact, but Celtic eventually broke the deadlock through Oxlade-Chamberlain's clinical finish. Tomas Cvancara nearly doubled the lead, but his effort was thwarted by a collision with goalkeeper Shamal George, who was later replaced by Ryan Mullen. The second half was characterized by a midfield stalemate, with Iheanacho missing a golden opportunity to put the game to bed.
St Mirren's Jacob Devaney and Roland Idowu attempted long-range shots, but Celtic's defense held firm. In the post-match interview, Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed concerns about his team's energy levels, while St Mirren boss Craig McLeish lamented his team's inability to capitalize on their performance.