Celtic Secures Slim Win Over St Mirren to Maintain Pressure on Leaders Hearts

Celtic has preserved their pursuit of the Scottish Premiership title with a narrow 1-0 victory over St Mirren, thus keeping the pressure on current leaders Hearts. The decisive goal was scored by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the first half, allowing Martin O'Neill's team to rise above Rangers into second place, just three points behind Hearts. Despite a strong opening, Celtic's performance was not at its best, and they relied on Oxlade-Chamberlain's early strike to secure the win. The team had opportunities to extend their lead but were unable to capitalize on them, with substitute Kelechi Iheanacho missing a chance to seal the victory in the second half. St Mirren, on the other hand, struggled to create scoring opportunities, with only one shot on target throughout the game. This victory comes after St Mirren's surprise 3-1 win over Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup in December, but a repeat of that outcome never seemed likely this time around. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill expressed concerns over his team's energy levels, particularly in the second half, where they surrendered possession too easily. St Mirren boss Craig McLeish was disappointed with the outcome, acknowledging that his team needs to accumulate points and is missing a creative spark in the final third to create more scoring chances.