Celtic managed to overturn an early setback and preserve their flawless start to the Scottish Premiership campaign, while St Mirren suffered their first loss of the season. The encounter in Paisley pitted the only two unbeaten sides in the top flight against each other, with the Buddies eager to extend their impressive opening run and claim the league summit. They began brightly, but Celtic’s resilience ultimately proved decisive. The turning point arrived when Liam Scales inadvertently handled the ball while attempting to block a low strike from Chris Mochrie.
The referee pointed to the spot and Nikolas Agrafiotis stepped up, converting the penalty without hesitation. This gave the visitors an early lead and forced St Mirren to chase the game.
Celtic appeared to have equalised moments later when Camilo Duran tapped in a cross from Hyun Jun Yang. However, a VAR review showed the attacker was marginally offside, nullifying the goal and preserving St Mirren’s one‑goal advantage.
The match continued with chances on both sides. Callum McGregor, Hussain Hassan and Yang each squandered opportunities, while Scales, still remorseful for his handball, redeemed himself by rising above the pack to head Mika Baur’s corner into the net, restoring Celtic’s parity. Soon after, Duran delivered a precise ball to Yang, who calmly slotted past goalkeeper Jacob Chapman to give Celtic the lead. The visitors then weathered a determined St Mirren resurgence that produced several near‑misses, including a late‑stage effort from new signing Shim Mhueka that was disallowed for offside.
The final tally left Celtic on five points, five clear of St Mirren at the top of the table. A chronological rundown of key moments highlights the drama: - 18′ – Taylor fires a shot from the edge of the box; Sinisalo makes a reflex save.
- 19′ – Penalty awarded to St Mirren after Mochrie’s strike brushes Scales’ arm; Agrafiotis steps up. - 22′ – St Mirren’s Sinisalo pushes the ball wide, but Agrafiotis blasts a powerful effort into the bottom corner. - 29′ – Duran nets Celtic’s response, leveling the score.
- 31′ – VAR overturns Celtic’s equaliser for offside, reigniting the contest. - 40′ – McGregor meets Baur’s corner, but Chapman gathers the ball safely.
- 42′ – Hassan’s cross finds Duran at the edge of the area; the Buddies keeper reacts swiftly. - 48′ – Hassan threads a brilliant pass to Yang, who inexplicably sends the ball over the bar. - 51′ – Scales rises to head in Baur’s corner, avenging his earlier handball.
- 55′ – Scales heads another corner wide, missing a chance to double the lead. - 64′ – Nygren’s pass to Yang is intercepted by Ramsay, who clears it off target.
- 68′ – Duran wins the ball, Yang breaks one‑on‑one with Chapman and scores. - 74′ – Sinisalo denies Thomas as St Mirren press on. - 86′ – Thomas shoots from six yards, only to lob the ball over the bar. - 90+3′ – Mhueka appears to score, but the referee consults the monitor and disallows the goal.
Sky Sports analyst James McFadden summed up the performance: “Celtic were worthy winners; they deserved the three points. They handled the pressure, dominated possession, created chances and took them when they came. St Mirren stuck to the manager’s game plan from the first whistle to the last, playing with openness and taking risks to draw the press.
Their bravery against a side of Celtic’s quality was evident, and they executed the plan without looking foolish.” Former Celtic captain Jackie McNamara added his perspective: “A fair result. Credit to St Mirren – they never gave up and stayed in the game right to the end. When Celtic shifted their wingers off, they lost a little momentum, but overall they earned the three points.” St Mirren boss Craig McLeish, speaking to Sky Sports, reflected on his side’s effort: “It shows how far we’ve come as a group. The lads are disappointed not to have taken a point, but we know Celtic are a threat and they gave us problems at times.
We created our own danger – 19 shots on target – which is a good sign. 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 manager Martin O’Neill offered a candid assessment: “It was a tough evening for us. We created chances but didn’t feel a phenomenal fluency.
We dug deep at the end, coming from behind against a team in brilliant form. They played splendidly for long periods, but we saw it through, which is great.” He also commented on the loss of Hyun Jun Yang to international duty: “He’ll be a major blow.
He works hard defensively and his departure is a loss. This is his final game for us; he’s in sparkling form, scored a great goal, and we’ll miss him badly.” Overall, the match showcased the intensity of a title‑race opener, with Celtic demonstrating resilience and St Mirren proving they can compete with the champions. Both managers highlighted the importance of learning from the experience, and fans were treated to a thrilling contest that set the tone for the season ahead.