Celtic Edge Out St Mirren to Maintain Pressure on League Leaders Hearts

Celtic secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over St Mirren, keeping the pressure on Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts. The win, courtesy of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's first-half strike, allowed Celtic to leapfrog Rangers into second place, now just three points behind Hearts. Despite a strong start, Celtic struggled to find their rhythm, with Oxlade-Chamberlain's early goal, which came after a disallowed effort, proving to be the decisive moment. St Mirren, who stunned Celtic with a 3-1 win in the Premier Sports Cup in December, were limited to just one shot on target, as the hosts missed opportunities to extend their lead. Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho spurned the best chance to seal the win, but Celtic held on for a gritty victory. The match marked the return of the Green Brigade to Celtic Park, who were in fine voice ahead of next week's Scottish Cup semi-final. Celtic thought they had taken the lead early on, but Oxlade-Chamberlain's rebound was ruled out for offside. The visitors had a few chances, with Jonah Ayunga and Miguel Freckleton testing the Celtic defense, but the hosts took the lead when Oxlade-Chamberlain fired into the bottom right corner after a blocked shot. Tomas Cvancara nearly doubled the lead, but collided with goalkeeper Shamal George, who was replaced by Ryan Mullen. The second half was a midfield battle, with few clear chances created. Iheanacho missed a golden opportunity at the near post, while St Mirren's Jacob Devaney and Roland Idowu had efforts from distance. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed concern over his team's lack of energy, particularly in the second half, while St Mirren boss Craig McLeish was disappointed not to take any points from the game, citing a lack of creativity in the final third.