Celtic ground out a gritty 1-0 victory over St Mirren, thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s first-half finish, maintaining stern pursuit of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts. Martin O’Neill’s squad capitalized on Hearts’ own late win, successfully jumping above rivals Rangers into second place in the standings. The result keeps the gap at three points at the summit.

Despite the fast start, where Oxlade-Chamberlain scored in the 15th minute following earlier disallowed effort, the performance lacked required intensity. Manager O’Neill later expressed concern over his team’s energy levels, admitting they surrendered possession too easily in the second period. St Mirren created only one shot on target, failing to replicate their cup upset from December.

Missed opportunities, including a second-half close-range poke wide by substitute Kelechi Iheanacho, meant the scoreline remained tight. The atmosphere improved with the return of The Green Brigade for the first time since November. This match served as a tense dress rehearsal ahead of next week's Scottish Cup semi-final clash.

Celtic secured the vital points through defensive solidity, keeping a clean sheet despite their offensive shortcomings. They avoided dropping valuable ground in the title chase against Hearts, ensuring the pressure cooker contest continues unabated into the final stretch.