Celtic Edge Out St Mirren to Stay Hot on Hearts' Heels

Celtic maintained their pursuit of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over St Mirren. The decisive moment came in the 15th minute when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored, allowing Martin O'Neill's team to leapfrog Rangers into second place and remain within three points of Hearts. Despite an early surge, Celtic failed to impress, with Oxlade-Chamberlain's goal proving the difference. The hosts had an earlier effort ruled out for offside and struggled to extend their lead, with substitute Kelechi Iheanacho missing a gilt-edged chance in the second half. St Mirren, meanwhile, managed only one shot on target, as Celtic ground out a crucial win. This encounter marked the first meeting between the two sides since St Mirren's surprise 3-1 win in the Premier Sports Cup last December. The Green Brigade, back in attendance at Celtic Park for the first time since November, created a lively atmosphere, a precursor to next week's Scottish Cup semi-final. Celtic thought they had taken an early lead when Callum McGregor's shot was parried and Oxlade-Chamberlain scored the rebound, only to be denied by an offside flag. St Mirren's Jonah Ayunga and Miguel Freckleton attempted to make an impact, but Celtic took the lead when Oxlade-Chamberlain fired home after a blocked McGregor shot. Tomas Cvancara nearly doubled the lead, but his effort was thwarted by a collision with goalkeeper Shamal George, who was later replaced by Ryan Mullen. The second half was a midfield battle, with Iheanacho spurning the best chance to seal the win. St Mirren's Jacob Devaney and Roland Idowu tried their luck from distance, but Celtic held firm to keep a clean sheet. Post-match, Martin O'Neill expressed concerns over his team's energy levels, while St Mirren boss Craig McLeish lamented his side's inability to capitalise on their performance.