Celtic Edge Out St Mirren to Maintain Pressure on Premiership Leaders

Celtic have kept their pursuit of the Scottish Premiership title on track with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over St Mirren. The winning goal came courtesy of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the first half, allowing Martin O'Neill's team to leapfrog Rangers into second place and stay within three points of leaders Hearts. Despite a strong opening, Celtic struggled to find their rhythm and were forced to withstand a gritty second-half display from their opponents. The hosts had several chances to extend their lead, but it was not until the final whistle that they could breathe a sigh of relief. This match marked the first encounter between the two teams since St Mirren's surprise 3-1 win in the Premier Sports Cup back in December. The Green Brigade, returning to Celtic Park for the first time since November, played their part in urging the team on. The match began with Celtic piling on the pressure, and they thought they had taken the lead early on, only for Oxlade-Chamberlain's rebound to be ruled out for offside. St Mirren threatened through Jonah Ayunga and Miguel Freckleton, but Celtic eventually broke the deadlock when Oxlade-Chamberlain fired home after 15 minutes. Tomas Cvancara came close to doubling the lead, but his effort was thwarted by St Mirren goalkeeper Shamal George, who was later replaced by Ryan Mullen due to injury. The second half was a tightly contested affair, with few clear-cut chances created by either side. Celtic substitute Kelechi Iheanacho missed a golden opportunity to seal the win, while St Mirren's Jacob Devaney and Roland Idowu tried their luck from distance. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed his relief at the victory, but acknowledged that his team had lacked energy and struggled to maintain possession. St Mirren boss Craig McLeish, meanwhile, was left to ponder what might have been, feeling that his team had shown promise but ultimately lacked the creative spark needed to claim a result.