Celtic Rally From Deficit to Preserve Winning Start at St Mirren

Celtic managed to overturn a first‑half setback and secure a vital three points, extending their flawless opening to the Scottish Premiership campaign while handing St Mirren their inaugural loss of the season. The encounter in Paisley pitted the only two unbeaten sides in the top tier against each other, with the Buddies eager to maintain their blistering early run and keep themselves perched atop the league table.

The match opened with drama when Liam Scales, attempting to block a low strike from Chris Mochrie, inadvertently handled the ball. Referee‑assistant Nikolas Agrafiotis stepped up to the spot and calmly slotted the penalty, giving Celtic an early lead.

The Hoops thought they had doubled their advantage moments later when Camilo Duran tapped in from a Hyun Jun Yang cross, but a VAR review ruled the goal out for off‑side, leaving the score at 1‑0. St Mirren responded with vigor, testing Celtic’s defence repeatedly.

Callum McGregor, Hussain Hassan and Yang each produced chances, yet the visitors could not find the net. Scales, who had earlier conceded the penalty, redeemed himself when he rose above the crowd to head Mika Baur’s corner into the back of the net, restoring Celtic’s lead. Duran then delivered a precise pass to Yang, who calmly slotted past keeper Jacob Chapman to make it 3‑0 and complete the comeback.

The home side fought back, creating several opportunities to pull a point level. New signing Shim Mhueka believed he had struck his first goal in stoppage time, only to see it disallowed for off‑side after another VAR intervention. The final whistle confirmed Celtic’s fifth‑point haul, widening the gap at the summit to five points over St Mirren.

Key moments of the match included: - 18′ SAVE – Taylor’s effort from the edge of the box was denied by a reflex save from Sinisalo. - 19′ PENALTY – Mochrie’s strike clipped Scales’ arm, prompting the referee to point to the spot. - 22′ GOAL ST MIRREN – Sinisalo’s dive to the right was well‑timed, but Agrafiotis unleashed a powerful shot that rattled the bottom corner. - 29′ GOAL CELTIC – Duran restored Celtic’s lead with a swift response.

- 31′ NO GOAL – VAR ruled Celtic’s equaliser offside, nullifying the celebration. - 40′ SAVE – McGregor met Baur’s corner poorly, allowing Chapman to collect the ball safely.

- 42′ SAVE – Hassan’s cross found Duran at the edge of the area, but the Buddies’ keeper reacted swiftly. - 48′ WIDE – Hassan delivered a brilliant ball for Yang, who inexplicably sent it wide of the post. - 51′ GOAL CELTIC – Scales rose to head Baur’s corner, redeeming his earlier penalty concession. - 55′ BLOCK – Scales again rose for a corner but this time headed wide.

- 64′ BLOCK – Nygren fed the ball back to Yang; Ramsay closed down and forced an off‑target attempt. - 68′ GOAL CELTIC – Duran reclaimed possession, Yang beat Chapman one‑on‑one and calmly finished.

- 74′ SAVE – Sinisalo denied Thomas as St Mirren pressed for a comeback. - 86′ CHANCE – Thomas missed a clear‑cut chance from six yards, 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 effort out.

Post‑match reactions highlighted the quality of the contest. Sky Sports analyst James McFadden praised Celtic, stating, “They were worthy winners, they deserved to win.

They had the pressure, the possession, the chances and they took them when they came.” He also commended St Mirren for adhering to Craig McLeish’s tactical plan, noting the visitors’ bravery in staying open against a dominant Celtic side. Former Celtic captain Jackie McNamara echoed the sentiment, calling the result fair and lauding St Mirren’s perseverance. He observed that Celtic’s loss of momentum after the wingers dropped deeper cost them a bit of impetus, yet the overall performance merited the three points. St Mirren manager Craig McLeish, speaking to Sky Sports, reflected on his team’s progress: “It shows how far we’ve come as a group.

The boys are disappointed not to have taken a point, but we know Celtic are a threat and they gave us problems at times. We created 19 shots, which shows we kept the danger alive throughout the game. The goals we conceded are disappointing, but Celtic also had chances. 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: “We created chances but didn’t feel a phenomenal fluency.

We really dug it out at the end, coming from behind against a team in brilliant form. They played splendidly for periods, but we saw it through, which was great.” He also addressed the impending loss of Hyun Jun Yang to international duty with South Korea, describing it as a “major blow” given Yang’s defensive contributions and his impressive start to the season.

Overall, the match delivered a compelling narrative of resilience, tactical adjustments, and moments of individual brilliance. Celtic’s ability to bounce back after conceding a penalty and to withstand a determined St Mirren side underlines their credentials as early title favourites, while the visitors can take pride in their attacking intent and the progress they have shown in just a handful of games. The season is still young, but both clubs have provided fans with an exciting glimpse of what lies ahead in the Scottish Premiership.