Here are the three main takeaways from Celtic’s 1-0 win over St Mirren in the Premiership
Celtic kept themselves in the Scottish Premiership title hunt as they beat relegation-threatened St Mirren 1-0 at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored the only goal of the game in the 15th minute to ensure the gap between them and league leaders Hearts remained at three points, while the defeat leaves the visiting Saints firmly in the relegation playoff mix and just two points ahead of Kilmarnock in 11th.
Graham Falk covered proceedings for The Scotsman and we take a look at what made his post-match notebook:
Celtic's Tomas Cvancara (L) collides with St Mirren goalkeeper Shamal George at Parkhead.placeholder image
Celtic's Tomas Cvancara (L) collides with St Mirren goalkeeper Shamal George at Parkhead. | SNS Group
Defiant banner proves division won't cease
The game against St Mirren saw the return of the Green Brigade for the first time in several months. Slapped with an ‘indefinite’ ban back in December due to ‘safety incidents’, the ultras group set foot inside Celtic Park for the first time in five months after the club “found a route” which saw them reverse their decision earlier this week.
A club that has found fractures too easy to come by this season, manager O’Neill praised the Celtic home support, claiming that it felt like “a real Celtic Park atmosphere” in the narrow win over St Mirren. However, if he and his players had hoped unity could return on a permanent basis, they would have been left disappointed by a banner they unfurled in the immediate aftermath of the victory.
Refusing to let their frustrations with the club’s hierarchy cease, a banner was displayed saying ‘Celtic board - unfit for purpose’ alongside a secondary sign which read 'Unbowed Unbroken' with the Green Brigade logo in between. Despite reaching an agreement in midweek, the group remain defiantly against those in the higher echelons of the club.
The continued division is not helping anybody involved with Celtic Football Club, who face a pivotal final five games of the season - and perhaps even a bigger summer as the club looks to appoint a new manager, chairman and director of football.
The Green Brigade will not relent and said as much in their statement ahead of the game on Friday. It appears there is no end in sight to the disagreement, and whichever side you fall on, the continued divide will only continue to affect Celtic, both on and off the pitch. It’s becoming increasingly sad to see a club that is so reliant on its entire supporter base.
Evident transfer failing
There was a degree of surprise around the press room when the announcement of Celtic’s starting XI omitted Kelechi Iheanacho following his winning goal in the 2-1 win over Dundee last weekend.
Despite finding the net just twice since his January loan move from Borussia Monchengladbach, Czech striker Tomas Cvancara was given the nod in the lone striking role, but he’s more devoid of confidence in front of goal with each passing week. If O’Neill had intended to give him a pre-match boost by favouring him over the Nigerian, it didn’t work.
Replaced just after the half mark, Cvancara left the field with his shoulders drooping. Just two of his 18 touches came in the opposition’s penalty area, and only 50% of them were made successfully. His only real impact on the game came when a collision with Shamal George forced the St Mirren goalkeeper to go off injured.
The 25-year-old arrived in the east end of Glasgow under a bit of a dark cloud in the new year. His first half of the season was wrecked by a dispute over unpaid wages while on loan to Turkish side Antalyaspor, and in truth, he was probably the wrong fit for a side desperate for some confidence and stability of their own.
While Celtic’s narrow win kept them in contention for the title, the inability to lure a proven marksman in the winter transfer could prove to be their ultimate downfall in their pursuit of it.
St Mirren's Jacob Devaney (R) and Celtic's Callum McGregor battle for the ball at Parkhead on Saturday.placeholder image
St Mirren's Jacob Devaney (R) and Celtic's Callum McGregor battle for the ball at Parkhead on Saturday. | SNS Group
Man Utd star shines
As the game approached the hour mark at Parkhead and St Mirren started to look the stronger of the two teams, a pair of increasingly frustrated Celtic supporters behind the press section turned to each other to ask, “Who is that number 8 for them?” A momentary period of comedy as both verbally expressed each other’s mirrored thoughts, it’s fair to assume they weren’t the only ones asking the question.
Jacob Devaney has been thrown into a difficult situation in Paisley. Arriving as an 18-year-old from Manchester United’s academy and tasked with helping to improve St Mirren’s chances of avoiding the relegation playoff, many would have expected him to sink rather than swim in a league that doesn’t take many prisoners.
Competitive throughout, Devaney snapped at the feet of the home side’s midfield throughout and was excellent in possession, ending the game with 94% pass completion rate. A cheeky little turn and nutmeg while under pressure, that left Reo Hatate for dead on the edge of his own area, summed up his impressive display.
Interim boss Craig McLeish was full of praise for the teenager after the game, saying: “He’s a big part of how we’re trying to play, and what we’re trying to do. I spoke to him a little bit before it. He’s at Manchester United, he needs to learn how to play in front of 60,000 people. He wants to do that, they want him to do that.
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“He has to go to massive places in the Premier League and the Champions League so it’s great for him. I had no doubt he would cope with it well. He’s got a maturity behind his years, he’s so brave on the ball, and so comfortable. We need to not take it for granted that he’s 18 and performing the way he is, because the levels of his performances are fantastic. I was delighted for him.”