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Trivia
- Wantaway midfielder Stilian Petrov scored what could be his last goal for Celtic.
Review
Aiden McGeady's powerful right-foot effort came back off the upright.
A superb, one-handed save by Chris Smith denied Maciej Zurawski after he was set up by Petrov.
St Mirren had an opportunity when Wallace's clearance fell straight to Craig Molloy, but the midfielder screwed his 22-yard shot wide of the mark.
Stand-in captain Stephen McManus headed Celtic into the deserved lead from a Shunsuke Nakamura corner.
Celtic virtually made sure of the points when McGeady jinked past a couple of defenders before setting up Petrov to drill the ball home.
St Mirren were unlucky when Lappin's free-kick hit the woodwork and goalkeeper Boruc denied Sutton a goal against his older brother's former club.
Kenny Miller missed a golden opportunity when he missed from a couple of yards from the St Mirren goalline, but the points were already safe for Celtic.
Teams
Celtic:-
Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Wallace (Pearson 56), Nakamura, Petrov, Jarosik, McGeady, Miller, Zurawski (Beattie 74).
Subs not used:- Marshall, Sno, Riordan, Thompson, Varga.
Goals:- McManus 28, Petrov 65.
Booked:- Petrov.
St Mirren:-
Chris Smith, van Zanten, Broadfoot, Potter, Millen, Murray, Brady (Brittain 77), Lappin, Molloy (McKenna 82), Kean (Mehmet 69), Sutton.
Subs not used:- Bullock, Corcoran, Maxwell, McCay.
Booked:- Murray.
Att:- 56,579
Referee: B Winter
Venue:- Celtic Park
KDS MOTM
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STATS
| 28' | McManus  |
1 –0 |
|
| 65' | Petrov |
2–0 |
|
| 74' |  Murray |
||
| 76' | Petrov |
Corners:
| Celtic | 6 |
| St Mirren | 1 |
Goal Attempts:
| Celtic | 17 |
| St Mirren | 5 |
On Target:
| Celtic | 9 |
| St Mirren | 1 |
Celtic see off newcomers St Mirren
GLASGOW, Aug 12 (Reuters) – Champions Celtic beat promoted St Mirren 2-0 in the Scottish Premier League on Saturday with a goal in each half. Captain Stephen McManus headed the opener in the 28th minute and Bulgarian midfielder Stilian Petrov grabbed the second to secure the points. The victory put Celtic on six points from three games but they were soon overtaken by Hearts and Falkirk who played out a 0-0 draw. They both have seven points but Hearts are top on goal difference. St Mirren, who had won their first two matches, slip to fourth. Rangers are away to Dunfermline Athletic on Sunday.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
FT Celtic 2 – 0 St Mirren
Celtic 2-0 St Mirren
BBC
Stilian Petrov celebrates scoring Celtic's second goal
Stilian Petrov scored Celtic's second goal against St Mirren
Wantaway midfielder Stilian Petrov scored what could be his last goal for Celtic as the champions knocked St Mirren off the top of the table.
Stand-in captain Stephen McManus headed Celtic into the deserved lead from a Shunsuke Nakamura corner.
Petrov, who hopes to secure a transfer to England, fired home after the break.
But St Mirren came close when Simon Lappin's free-kick struck the underside of the bar and Artur Boruc saved John Sutton's header on the rebound.
Ross Wallace had replaced the injured Paul Telfer in Celtic's defence, with Mark Wilson moving to right-back.
The 41-year-old Andy Millen was drafted in for the injured Kevin McGowne in defence.
And he was quickly under pressure when Aiden McGeady's powerful right-foot effort came back off the upright.
A superb, one-handed save by Chris Smith denied Maciej Zurawski after he was set up by Petrov.
St Mirren had an opportunity when Wallace's clearance fell straight to Craig Molloy, but the midfielder screwed his 22-yard shot wide of the mark.
Stephen McManus celebrates scoring against St Mirren
Stephen McManus (right) scored the opener against St Mirren
Buddies goalkeeper Smith cost his side dear in the 28th minute.
He was caught in no-man's land as McManus headed Nakamura's corner straight down the centre of goal from just eight yards out.
Smith atoned for his error to block Zurawski's low drive with his knees.
St Mirren captain Kirk Broadfoot came close to an equaliser, heading just wide from a Lappin free-kick.
But Celtic virtually made sure of the points when McGeady jinked past a couple of defenders before setting up Petrov to drill the ball home.
St Mirren were unlucky when Lappin's free-kick hit the woodwork and goalkeeper Boruc denied Sutton a goal against his older brother's former club.
Smith prevented Celtic increasing their lead with a fine save from a McGeady strike.
Kenny Miller missed a golden opportunity when he missed from a couple of yards from the St Mirren goalline, but the points were already safe for Celtic.
Celtic: Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Wallace (Pearson 56), Nakamura, Petrov, Jarosik, McGeady, Miller, Zurawski (Beattie 74). Subs Not Used: Marshall, Sno, Riordan, Thompson, Varga.
Booked: Petrov.
Goals: McManus 28, Petrov 65.
St Mirren: Chris Smith, van Zanten, Broadfoot, Potter, Millen, Murray, Brady (Brittain 77), Lappin, Molloy (McKenna 82), Kean (Mehmet 69), Sutton. Subs Not Used: Bullock, Corcoran, Maxwell, McCay.
Booked: Murray.
Att: 56,579
Ref: B Winter
Strachan plays down Lennon exit
BBC
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan was pleased to see Craig Beattie return
Gordon Strachan dismissed rumours that Neil Lennon's absence from the Celtic line-up against St Mirren indicated that the veteran was leaving the club.
"Lenny has a real tightness in his hamstring and we left him out along with Paul Telfer, who's suffering from a knock," he said after the 2-0 win.
"Lenny was magnificent for us last season and I made him captain.
"I have a great relationship with him and he could have featured as he played well against Chelsea in midweek."
Lennon was unhappy at being a substitute for last weekend's defeat by Hearts.
And there was wild speculation at Celtic Park that Lennon had left the ground in a rage after being told he would not be playing.
But the midfielder telephone BBC Scotland to say that he had simply been picking up a friend to take him to the match.
Lennon later returned to the ground as Celtic knocked the Buddies off the top of the Scottish Premier League.
Strachan was satisfied with his side's performance but thought they lost their shape after going 1-0 ahead.
He was particularly pleased with the return from injury of striker Craig Beattie, who was a surprise inclusion as a substitute after recently returning to training.
"It was smashing to see the big fella back as he is a threat and delivered a great cross in the second half," added Strachan.
McManus gives Celtic head start
Patrick Glenn
The Observer, Sunday 13 August 2006
Less than a week after their jolting defeat by Hearts at Tynecastle, Celtic had to concern themselves more with a win than the style in which it would be achieved. Prettiness was sacrificed to the cause of pragmatism on a day when knocking St Mirren off their perch in the Premierleague was not the least of the home team's priorities. Even the most ardent apologists for Gordon Strachan's team would be hard pressed to present a case for their enthralling football.
Indeed, for much of the match, Celtic appeared alarmingly ordinary, requiring the talent of Aiden McGeady and the strength of defender Stephen McManus and midfielder Stilian Petrov – the last two to provide the goals – finally to subdue the newly promoted Paisley team.
The goal from McManus was a reminder of the difficulties that almost invariably have to be confronted and then overcome by visitors to Celtic Park. The most dispiriting of these is suddenly finding themselves in arrears after a lengthy period in which they had appeared to be holding their own.
Before the intervention of the big defender, St Mirren seemed to have drawn confidence from their unexpected status as league leaders, imparting the impression that even bearding the champions in their own den was not an intimidating assignment.
There had been one or two scares, most notably when the extravagant skills of McGeady allowed him to take a pass from Shunsuke Nakamura and dance into space before hitting a powerful right-foot drive against Chris Smith's right post.
The Saints goalkeeper had also done an heroic piece of work at the end of the most fluent and incisive move of the match at that stage. The slickness of the passing between Jiri Jarosik, Petrov, McGeady and Maciej Zurawski took the Poland striker clear on the left side of the penalty area, but his intended flick past Smith was blocked by the goalkeeper.
Like the rest of his defensive colleagues, however, Smith seemed to desert the premises when Nakamura delivered the ball high and looping from a corner on the left, allowing McManus to head the ball over the line from six yards.
Although generally composed from front to back through that first half, St Mirren's capacity for inflicting damage appeared to be inhibited, some accurate passing and intelligent movement bringing half-chances that were attacked in a largely half-hearted way.
Even so, the 3-5-2 formation favoured by their manager, Gus MacPherson, appeared to frustrate Celtic for much of the time, with space at a premium as central defender Andy Millen, at 41 the oldest man to play in the SPL, organised and controlled the comparative juveniles in his charge.
The visitors tended to fill space so well that Celtic, in search of room in which to breathe, frequently fell into disarray, the lack of coherence caused by the gaps that appeared between midfield and attack, where Miller and Zurawski were often polarised.
In such circumstances, no tool is more useful than the kind of skill with which McGeady is endowed. It was the 20-year-old midfielder, seemingly maturing into a proper asset, who created the opportunity from which Petrov extended the advantage.
Few would have the control and composure to work his way past two opponents, as he did, and hold the ball until the Bulgaria captain had moved into position on the right side of the penalty area. McGeady rolled the ball to Petrov, who sent it low and hard to the left of Smith from about 12 yards.
Before he was finished, Miller shared his frustration with the Celtic support when he made an uncommon mess of an opportunity to give Celtic a margin of victory that would have flattered them.
Craig Beattie, who had replaced Zurawski, provided the service from the left, his low cross taking out the entire St Mirren defence. But Miller, coming in unchallenged, contrived to send the right-foot shot wide.