Celtic Edge St Mirren 1-0 To Stay In The Scottish Premiership Title Race

Celtic moved to within three points of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts after a tight 1-0 win over St. Mirren at Celtic Park. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored the only goal in the first half, keeping Martin O'Neill's team in the title chase on a night when the performance looked controlled but rarely fluent.

Hearts protected top spot with a 3-1 victory against Motherwell, scoring twice in the last five minutes after falling behind. That result meant Celtic needed maximum points to maintain pressure, and the narrow success against St. Mirren ensured the gap at the summit of the Scottish Premiership stayed at three points.

Oxlade-Chamberlain believed Celtic had struck early in the seventh minute when a close-range volley found the net, but the celebrations stopped when an offside flag went up. The midfield player stayed involved and struck decisively in the 15th minute, calmly finishing past Shamal George after Callum McGregor’s shot deflected neatly into Oxlade-Chamberlain’s path.

St. Mirren, who are due to face Celtic again in the Scottish Cup semi-finals next weekend, almost levelled during first-half stoppage time. Liam Donnelly met a corner with a firm header that flew just over the crossbar, giving Celtic a warning despite the hosts enjoying more control of possession and territory before the break.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Celtic creating most of the chances but failing to add a second goal. Kelechi Iheanacho went close midway through the half, sending an effort narrowly wide as Celtic tried to secure breathing space. The single-goal advantage held, though, giving the Hoops another important league win.

Overall, Celtic registered seven attempts and produced an expected goals figure of 0.92, meaning Oxlade-Chamberlain’s finish exceeded the underlying numbers. Defensively, Celtic allowed St. Mirren just one shot on target, yet the home crowd still experienced tense late moments because the margin stayed so slim against organised opponents.

Recent head-to-head figures underline Celtic’s control in this fixture. The Hoops have taken 12 wins from the last 14 Scottish Premiership meetings with St. Mirren, drawing the other two. Across all competitions, Celtic have lost only once in 40 home games against the Buddies, stretching a record that highlights long-term dominance at Celtic Park.

St. Mirren travelled to Glasgow having won two consecutive Scottish Premier League matches and chasing three straight top-flight victories for the first time since December 2024. That milestone slipped away, although the disciplined display suggested confidence remains high before the Scottish Cup semi-final rematch with Celtic next weekend.

The display from Celtic was not their most fluent, yet it delivered the key outcome. The 1-0 result sustained pressure on Hearts in the Scottish Premiership race and extended a strong record against St. Mirren, while also setting up an intriguing repeat meeting in the Scottish Cup semi-finals the following weekend.