Celtic are back on top of the SPL table following a comfortable 3-1 win over St Mirren at Parkhead.
Celtic capitalise on Rangers slip-up
Celtic are back on top of the SPL table following a comfortable 3-1 win over St Mirren at Parkhead.
The Bhoys were stunned by Dundee United last time out, but were handed the chance to regain top spot after Rangers slipped-up again at Pittodrie.
Chris Innes' own goal and a Georgios Samaras strike gave the home side a two-goal cushion before Buddies substitute Michael Higdon reduced the deficit before the break.
Any lingering doubts that St Mirren could snatch a point were extinguished when Scott McDonald added a third on the hour mark, although he then missed a late penalty.
Saints, as expected, started with lone striker Billy Mehmet supported by Andy Dorman and they should have gone behind early in the game.
In the fourth minute Hoops midfielder Aiden McGeady left St Mirren left-back David Barron on his backside on the right-hand touchline and drove in the penalty area before setting up Zheng Zhi at the back post.
However, the China captain failed to connect properly from 10 yards out, allowing Buddies' keeper Paul Gallacher to make the save.
Volleyed over
As the Parkhead side controlled the early stages, McDonald volleyed over at the front post from close range after good work by Andreas Hinkel and McGeady down the right.
In the 19th minute Saints suffered a blow when the injured Dorman limped off to be replaced by Higdon.
McGeady, probing from both flanks, looked to be Celtic's best chance of a breakthrough but he, like the rest of his team mates, faced a resolute and at times, desperate Paisley defence.
However, the St Mirren rearguard was eventually breached in the 38th minute when Samaras played in McDonald and the Australia international drove in from 10 yards off Saints defender Innes who had tried to lose him down.
Four minutes later, in a swift break, McGeady set up Samaras in similar position and the Greece international slipped his shot past Gallacher from 12 yards and that, the majority of the crowd thought, was that.
However, in the final minute Celtic midfielder Marc Crosas stabbed at a Mehmet cross from the right and the ball fell kindly to Higdon to volley in from close range, reducing the deficit and increasing again the nerves among the Hoops' support.
The loss of the goal had deflated the Hoops' support and a tense start to the second half allowed the visitors to play their way back in to a game that had looked lost following Celtic's second goal.
Superier
McGeady, superior to anyone on the park, set up Hinkel in the 55th minute with an incisive pass only to see the Germany defender shoot tamely at Gallacher from just inside the box.
The points looked secure again, though, in the 61st minute when McDonald restored the Parkhead side's two-goal cushion.
Defender Gary Caldwell sent McGeady scampering down the right and when his cross came in to the front post McDonald knocked it past the helpless Gallacher.
Marc-Antoine Fortune replaced Samaras four minutes later and immediately headed a Danny Fox free-kick from the edge of the box in to the arms of Gallacher.
Any belief the Paisley side may have had evaporated and the final stages saw a gradual procession towards Gallacher.
In the 75th minute Zheng had the ball in the net following a Fox corner but offside was given, moments before Mehmet volleyed over from 10 yards at the other end in a rare St Mirren attack.
In a bizarre late incident Innes handled inside the box and after being sent off and then recalled, he watched McDonald have his penalty saved by Gallacher who also saved the striker's second attempt from the rebound.
