Celtic Edge Out St Mirren to Stay on Hearts' Heels

Celtic maintained their pursuit of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over St Mirren. The decisive goal came in the 15th minute when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored, allowing Martin O'Neill's team to leapfrog Rangers into second place and remain three points adrift of Hearts. Despite an early goal, Celtic struggled to find their rhythm, with their best chance to extend their lead coming from substitute Kelechi Iheanacho, who missed from close range in the second half. St Mirren, meanwhile, were limited to just one shot on target. This encounter marked the first meeting between the two sides since St Mirren's surprise 3-1 win in the Premier Sports Cup in December. The Green Brigade, back in Celtic Park for the first time since November, provided vocal support in a dress rehearsal for next week's Scottish Cup semi-final. The match saw both teams create scoring opportunities, with Celtic's Tomas Cvancara nearly doubling the lead and St Mirren's Mikael Mandron heading over in the first half. The second half was a more subdued affair, with Iheanacho's missed chance at the near post being the most notable opportunity. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed concerns over his team's energy levels, while St Mirren boss Craig McLeish was left disappointed by the lack of points but encouraged by his team's performance, particularly in the second half.