Celtic managed to overturn a first‑half deficit and secure a 3‑1 victory over St Mirren, extending their flawless start to the Scottish Premiership campaign. The win kept the defending champions atop the league and handed the Paisley side their inaugural loss of the season.
The encounter was billed as a clash of the only two unbeaten clubs in the top flight, with St Mirren eager to maintain their blistering opening run and climb to the summit. They got off to a dream start, earning a penalty when Liam Scales inadvertently handled the ball while trying to block a shot from Chris Mochrie. Nikolas Agrafiotis stepped up and coolly slotted the spot‑kick, putting the Buddies ahead and igniting the crowd. Celtic appeared to have equalised moments later when Camilo Duran redirected a cross from Hyun Jun Yang into the net.
However, a VAR review confirmed the attacker was offside, nullifying the goal and leaving the score at 1‑0 to St Mirren. The match continued at a frantic pace, with both sides creating chances. Callum McGregor, Hussain Hassan and Yang each missed opportunities, while Scales, who had earlier conceded the penalty, redeemed himself when he rose highest to meet Mika Baur’s corner and headed the ball home.
The defender’s goal levelled the game at 1‑1 and shifted momentum in Celtic’s favour. Soon after, Duran supplied a precise pass to Yang, who calmly finished past goalkeeper Jacob Chapman to give Celtic a 2‑1 lead. The visitors then weathered a determined St Mirren push, as the home side produced several shots that threatened to restore parity.
New signing Shim Mhueka even thought he had netted a stoppage‑time winner, but VAR again intervened, ruling him offside and preserving Celtic’s advantage. The final whistle confirmed a 3‑0 win for Celtic, marking their fifth consecutive league triumph and widening the gap at the top of the table to five points over St Mirren.
Key moments of the match included: - 18′ SAVE: Taylor struck from the edge of the box, only to be denied by a reflex save from Sinisalo. - 19′ PENALTY TO ST MIRREN: Mochrie’s shot clipped Scales’ arm, prompting the referee to point to the spot.
- 22′ GOAL ST MIRREN: Agrafiotis unleashed a powerful shot that hit the bottom corner after Sinisalo’s initial save. - 29′ GOAL CELTIC: Duran restored Celtic’s lead with a swift response. - 31′ NO‑GOAL: VAR disallowed Celtic’s equaliser for off‑side. - 40′ SAVE: McGregor failed to connect cleanly on Baur’s corner, and Chapman collected the ball.
- 42′ SAVE: Hassan’s cross found Duran’s feet, but the Buddies keeper reacted swiftly. - 48′ WIDE: Hassan delivered a brilliant ball for Yang, who inexplicably missed the target.
- 51′ GOAL CELTIC: Scales headed in from Baur’s corner, redeeming his earlier mistake. - 55′ BLOCK: Scales rose again for a corner but headed wide this time.
- 64′ BLOCK: Nygren’s pass to Yang was intercepted by Ramsay, forcing a miss. - 68′ GOAL CELTIC: Duran won the ball, Yang beat Chapman one‑on‑one and scored. - 74′ SAVE: Sinisalo denied Thomas as St Mirren pressed forward.
- 86′ CHANCE: Thomas missed a close‑range effort, only managing a weak effort over the bar. - 90+3′ GOAL DISALLOWED: Mhueka appeared to score, but the referee consulted the monitor and ruled the goal out. Post‑match reactions highlighted the quality of Celtic’s performance.
Sky Sports analyst James McFadden praised the champions, stating, “Celtic were worthy winners; they deserved the three points. They handled the pressure, dominated possession and took their chances when they came.” He also commended St Mirren for adhering to Craig McLeish’s tactical plan, noting their willingness to take risks and draw the press, which made for an entertaining encounter. Former Celtic captain Jackie McNamara echoed this sentiment, calling the result “fair” and crediting St Mirren for never giving up.
He observed that Celtic’s loss of momentum late in the game coincided with the wingers dropping deeper, but overall the champions deserved the win. St Mirren manager Craig McLeish reflected on his side’s progress, saying, “It shows how far we’ve come as a group. The boys are disappointed not to take a point, but we created 19 shots and kept a threat throughout the match.
We’ll dust ourselves off and move on; there’s always another game around the corner.” Celtic boss Martin O’Neill admitted the evening was challenging, noting a lack of “phenomenal fluency” at times. He praised his players for digging deep and turning the game around against a side in superb form. O’Neill also addressed the impending loss of Hyun Jun Yang to international duty with South Korea, calling him a “major blow” due to his defensive contributions and recent goal, and confirming it would be his final appearance for the club before departing.
Overall, the match provided a thrilling narrative of early setbacks, VAR interventions, and a resilient comeback, reinforcing Celtic’s status as early title favourites while underscoring St Mirren’s growing confidence in the Scottish Premiership.