Celtic Secures Slim Victory Over St Mirren to Maintain Pressure on Hearts

Celtic has preserved their pursuit of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts with a narrow 1-0 victory over St Mirren. A first-half goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was sufficient for Martin O'Neill's team to rise above Rangers into second place, remaining three points behind Hearts, who secured a late win over Motherwell. Despite a strong start, Celtic struggled to perform at their best, with Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring the decisive goal in the 15th minute after an earlier effort was disallowed for offside. The hosts had multiple opportunities to extend their lead but were unable to capitalize, with substitute Kelechi Iheanacho missing a close-range chance in the second half. St Mirren, on the other hand, had limited opportunities, with only one shot on target throughout the match. This encounter marked the first meeting between the two teams since St Mirren's surprising 3-1 win in the Premier Sports Cup in December, but a repeat of that outcome never seemed likely. The Green Brigade, who were allowed back into Celtic Park for the first time since November, created a lively atmosphere, which served as a precursor to next week's Scottish Cup semi-final. After a period of intense pressure, Celtic thought they had taken the lead early on, only to be denied by an offside flag. St Mirren's Jonah Ayunga and Miguel Freckleton attempted to make an impact, but Celtic took the lead when Benjamin Nygren found Callum McGregor, whose shot was blocked, and Kieran Tierney picked out Oxlade-Chamberlain to score. The second half was characterized by a midfield stalemate, with few scoring opportunities. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed concerns about his team's energy levels, while St Mirren boss Craig McLeish was disappointed with not securing any points but acknowledged the challenges of playing at Celtic Park.