“Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain opens the scoring with a well-taken finish to give Celtic the early advantage”
Pivotal“Liam Donnelly picks up a yellow card for a foul as St. Mirren's frustrations begin to show”
“Celtic make multiple substitutions in a bid to see out the match and manage their narrow lead”
“Alex Gogic receives a yellow card for persistent fouling as St. Mirren's desperation increases”
Celtic
St. Mirren
Outstanding performance
St. Mirren•DefenderCeltic secured a narrow but crucial 1-0 victory over St. Mirren at Celtic Park, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's 15th-minute strike proving to be the difference in what was ultimately a hard-fought encounter. The hosts controlled proceedings with 56% possession and created the better chances, registering three big chances to St. Mirren's none, though they were wasteful in front of goal, missing two clear opportunities that could have made the scoreline more comfortable. The Buddies showed resilience throughout, particularly in the second half which proved significantly more eventful, forcing Celtic goalkeeper into three saves while themselves offering little in attack with just one shot on target. This victory keeps Celtic firmly in the title race conversation, while St. Mirren will rue their inability to capitalize on a more competitive second-half display that saw them win more corners but lack the cutting edge in the final third.
How entertaining was this match?
Alexander Gogic from St Mirren receives a yellow card in the 83rd minute.
Roland Idowu is substituted for St Mirren in the 81st minute.
Conor McMenamin is substituted for St Mirren in the 80th minute.
Reo Hatate is substituted for Celtic in the 73rd minute.
Jake Young is substituted for St Mirren in the 73rd minute.
Jayden Richardson is substituted for St Mirren in the 73rd minute.
Luke McCowan is substituted for Celtic in the 73rd minute.
Arne Engels is substituted for Celtic in the 63rd minute.
Kelechi Iheanacho substituted for Celtic in the 62nd minute.
Liam DonnellyYellow CardLiam Donnelly of St Mirren receives a yellow card in the 50th minute.
Ryan Mullen is substituted for St Mirren in the 32nd minute.
Martin O'Neill returns to manage Celtic against the St. Mirren side that stunned them 3-1 in December's League Cup final. With Stephen Robinson potentially leaving St. Mirren for Aberdeen, both clubs face crucial decisions ahead of their upcoming Scottish Cup semi-final rematch.
