Celtic edge past St Mirren to maintain pressure on league leaders Hearts

Celtic secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over St Mirren, keeping them within three points of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's first-half goal proved to be the decisive factor, as Martin O'Neill's side moved into second place above Rangers. Despite a strong start, Celtic struggled to find their rhythm, with Oxlade-Chamberlain's early strike, which came after a disallowed goal, being the only score of the match. St Mirren, who had stunned Celtic with a 3-1 win in the Premier Sports Cup in December, were limited to just one shot on target. Celtic's best chance to seal the win came when substitute Kelechi Iheanacho missed a close-range opportunity in the second half. The hosts managed to grind out the win, despite being far from their best, and now look forward to their Scottish Cup semi-final next week. The win was also marked by the return of the Green Brigade to Celtic Park, who were in fine voice throughout the match.