St Mirren suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Celtic in a tense Scottish Premiership match at their Paisley home on Saturday night. The result, reported by the Daily Record, saw Celtic extend their lead at the summit while St Mirren remain second, now five points behind the leaders.
Celtic took control after a disjointed first half. Liam Scales, who had conceded a penalty earlier, headed home in the second period to complete a personal turnaround. Yang Hyun-jun had earlier put the visitors ahead, with Niko Agrafiotis's spot-kick for St Mirren proving only a consolation. The Buddies threw everything forward in a nervy finale but couldn't find an equaliser.
How did the match unfold?
The game's major flashpoint arrived in the first half when Celtic defender Liam Scales was penalised for handball. St Mirren's Niko Agrafiotis stepped up and calmly converted the penalty past goalkeeper Jacob Chapman to give the home side a surprise lead. Celtic improved after the break and drew level through Yang Hyun-jun. Scales then made amends for his earlier error by powering in a header to put Celtic ahead for good. VAR played a significant role, adding three minutes of stoppage time and ruling out goals for Yang, St Mirren's Shim Mheuka, and Celtic's Camilo Duran for offside.
What is St Mirren's current league position?
Despite the defeat, Stephen McLeish's side hold onto second place in the Premiership. They have 10 points from five games, with a record of three wins, one draw, and this one loss. Their recent form reads LWDWW. The team has scored eight goals and conceded five, giving them a +3 goal difference. You can view the full standings for the latest table. The squad is currently dealing with several absences, including Keanu Baccus, Killian Phillips, Liam Donnelly, and Malik Dijksteel, all detailed on the club's injuries page.
What did the managers and players say?
Celtic captain Callum McGregor acknowledged his team's slow start. "Much better second half," he said. "A good win, important because we probably wasted 45 minutes." Match-winner Liam Scales gave his view on the penalty incident. "I thought the penalty was harsh, but we're happy with the result," the defender stated. For St Mirren, the focus will be on bouncing back quickly from this setback against the league's top side.
What's next for St Mirren?
The Buddies now look ahead to their next Premiership fixture, an away trip to face Dundee on December 26th. Dundee currently sit sixth in the table, making it another challenging encounter. The full schedule of upcoming matches is available on the club's fixtures page. St Mirren will aim to regroup during the international break and address the fine margins that decided this match against Celtic.
