Celtic secured a narrow 1-0 victory over St Mirren, keeping the pressure on Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts. The winning goal came in the 15th minute when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored, allowing Martin O'Neill's side to move into second place, three points behind Hearts. Despite a slow start, Celtic dominated the first half, with Oxlade-Chamberlain's goal being the difference maker.
St Mirren had limited scoring opportunities, with their best chance coming from Jonah Ayunga's mazy run into the box. The second half saw a more evenly matched game, with both teams struggling to create scoring chances.
Celtic's substitute Kelechi Iheanacho missed a golden opportunity to seal the win, but the hosts managed to hold on for a gritty victory. The win marked a significant improvement from their previous meeting, where St Mirren stunned Celtic with a 3-1 win in the Premier Sports Cup. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed concerns over his team's energy levels, while St Mirren boss Craig McLeish praised his team's performance, acknowledging the difficulty of playing at Celtic Park.