Celtic remain on course for treble despite Saints scare

CELTIC

4

Lustig (58), Sinclair (59), Dembele (68), Griffiths (78)

ST MIRREN

Davis (13)

1

If Celtic and their supporters needed a reminder that winning the domestic treble is never straightforward, it was provided by a gutsy if ultimately overwhelmed St Mirren side in an absorbing Scottish Cup quarter-final tie.

Leading for almost an hour through an early goal from onloan Crewe Alexandra defender Harry Davis, the Paisley outfit threatened to bring Celtic’s unbeaten domestic record to an end when least expected.

Rated as long as a 50-1 shot by the bookies in this quarter-final tie, the side currently propping up the second tier of Scottish football gave Brendan Rodgers genuine cause for concern before the tide turned against them in the latter stages.

Two goals in as many minutes from Mikael Lustig and Scott Sinclair broke St Mirren’s resistance before Moussa Dembele’s 32nd of the season and a late strike from substitute Leigh Griffiths ensured Celtic’s undefeated sequence in Scottish football under Rodgers was extended to 34 matches.

They made their quality count emphatically in the end, with Dembele and Sinclair now boasting a combined tally of 50 goals in a campaign where they have been the most influential factors in Celtic’s relentless dominance. They remain strongly fancied to win the club’s first treble since 2001.

This was a day the Celtic support could enjoy in the end, a day which also saw them pay tribute to Tommy Gemmell, a member of the club’s first two treble-winning squads in 1967 and 1969, following his sad passing last week.

Those fans could have few complaints about their side trailing at the break. Celtic were laboured in possession and sloppy at the back whenever St Mirren ventured out of their well-drilled containing shape to pose a threat on the counter-attack.

Gary Mackay-steven was among the biggest villains of the piece for the champions in that opening 45 minutes. The winger lacked conviction and was guilty of some poor decision-making on a number of occasions when he found himself in promising positions.

He did manage to set up an early chance for Stuart Armstrong whose shot was comfortably held by Billy O’brien. It was the only save the visiting ‘keeper was called upon to make in the first half.

At the other end, Craig Gordon was left badly exposed by the negligence of his defenders when St Mirren stunned the home support with the opener. Celtic were slow to react at a well-worked free-kick which saw Stevie Mallan slide the ball to Cammy Smith down the left.

The on-loan Aberdeen player’s cross was headed back across goal by John Sutton to provide the unmarked Davis with a simple close-range tapin.

For all of the possession they comfortably secured after that setback, Celtic lacked guile in their attempts to penetrate a Saints side who defended with