Celtic Edge Out St Mirren to Maintain Pressure on Leaders Hearts

Celtic have kept their title hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership, moving them into second place and within three points of leaders Hearts. The decisive moment came in the 15th minute when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored the only goal of the game, following an earlier effort that was ruled out for offside. Despite not being at their best, Celtic managed to grind out the win, with substitute Kelechi Iheanacho missing a golden opportunity to seal the victory in the second half. This narrow win sets the stage for next week's Scottish Cup semi-final. Celtic dominated the early stages, with Oxlade-Chamberlain's initial goal being disallowed due to offside, before he eventually found the net. St Mirren's best chance came through Jonah Ayunga, who fired wide after a mazy run into the box. The visitors continued to push, with Miguel Freckleton's shot being saved, but Celtic took the lead when Oxlade-Chamberlain rifled home after a blocked shot. Tomas Cvancara nearly doubled the lead but collided with the goalkeeper, who was later replaced. The second half saw a more evenly matched contest, with few clear-cut chances. Iheanacho missed a great chance at the near post, while St Mirren's Jacob Devaney tried his luck from distance. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed concerns over his team's energy levels, particularly in the second half, but was pleased with the clean sheet. St Mirren boss Craig McLeish was disappointed not to take any points, acknowledging the difficulty of playing at Celtic Park but highlighting the need for more creativity in the final third.