St Mirren performance and Celtic fixture outcome

St Mirren began their Scottish Premiership campaign with two consecutive victories, including a 2-0 win against Falkirk and a 1-0 win over St Johnstone. This strong start under manager Craig McLeish addressed previous concerns regarding relegation following the team’s recent survival via the play-offs.

By early September, St Mirren remained unbeaten in five league matches, moving into second place with 10 points. This performance set up a high-stakes fixture against league leaders Celtic, who held 12 points following six consecutive wins. While Celtic faced significant injury concerns, St Mirren aimed to become the first team to take points from the leaders during the season.

On 5 September 2026, the two sides met at the SMiSA Stadium. St Mirren took an early lead in the 22nd minute when Nikolas Agrafiotis converted a penalty following a VAR review of a handball by Liam Scales. Although Celtic had a goal by Camilo Duran disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside, they ultimately secured a 2-1 victory through goals from Liam Scales and Hyun-jun Yang. The result allowed Celtic to maintain their perfect start to the season and extend their lead at the top of the table to five points.

Following the match, Celtic manager Martin O’Neill expressed significant frustration regarding VAR interventions, criticizing the technology’s impact on the game and questioning the calibration of offside lines. Additionally, O’Neill expressed optimism regarding teenage striker Shim Mheuka, praising the Chelsea loanee’s potential to make a significant impact during the title defense. He also highlighted the progress of summer signing Haissem Hassan, noting his ability to beat players in one-on-one situations. However, the victory comes with a setback as Hyun-jun Yang is expected to miss the next four matches due to his participation in the Asian Games with South Korea.