| Our faint hopes of catching Rangers at the top of the SPL were all but demolished in Paisley with St Mirren recording their first league win over Celtic in 21 years. And what a score to win by, 4-0, in what was en embarrassing night to be a Celtic fan. Doubles by Buddies' midfielders Andy Dorman and Steven Thomson stunned the Hoops and the fans who booed the team off the park at the end of the game. Celtic failed to eat into the gap to Rangers even with six strikers on the park. It could even be worse if they win their two games in hand. The Buddies went some way to making up for the disappointment of losing the Co-operative Insurance Cup final on Sunday as they romped to victory in style. No getting away from the fact that they deserved their first home league win over Celtic since 1989. They were just rubbing it in at the end as their fans chanted "we want five''. In the 13th minute, Buddies' striker Billy Mehmet got the break of the ball inside the visitors box but his weak shot from 14 yards was easily saved by Lukasz Zaluska. At the other end seconds later, right back Mark Wilson's cross from the right found Georgios Samaras, who beat Paul Gallacher at his near post but the ball bounced back into the arms of the keeper. In the 25th minute Aiden McGeady, the most dangerous player in a Celtic strip, drove at the St Mirren defence and played Robbie Keane in with a clever pass. Gallacher blocked the Irishman's low drive but the ball spun high in to the air and had to be cleared from under the bar by Saints defender Jack Ross under pressure from Paul McGowan. Gallacher made another save from Keane but this time the Republic of Ireland star's shot was tame. Celtic were in control of the game but in the 38th minute, and against the run of play, the Paisley side took the lead, seconds after a penalty claim for a push on Dargo by Edson Braafheid had been ignored by Richmond. When the ball came back into the centre the Hoops' defence failed to clear and it was Dorman, back in the side after being left on the bench for the Co-operative Insurance Cup final, who fired past Zaluska from just inside the box. This set Celtic off to retaliate and Samaras had a good effort from long range parried by Gallacher but the Saints defence cleared their lines before the half time whistle sounded. Moments in to the second half Celtic survived another penalty claim when Samaras looked to use his hand to control the ball in the box, but again it would have been a soft one. Moments after McGeady's cross evaded everyone in the St Mirren six-yard box, Mehmet then flashed a Ross cross over the bar. But the pressure was slowly mounting on the Paisley side and after Gallacher flapped again at a cross, Buddies' midfielder Hugh Murray threw himself to block a Keane drive from close range. But there was more drama in the 58th minute when Saints sensationally doubled their lead. The foraging Dargo robbed Thompson down the left, played a one-two with Mehmet then shaped to shoot before setting up Steven Thomson who rifled low past Zaluska from just inside the box. This set off a flurry of activity from the visitors bench with Fortune for Ki and the pressure on the Buddies' goal intensified although there remained a hint of St Mirren danger on the breakaway. Desperation was creeping in to Celtic's play as the minutes ticked away and in the 76th minute striker number six, Morten Rasmussen, came on for Braafheid. But in the 84th minute Dorman took advantage of more slack play in the Hoops' defence to slam goal number three past Zaluska. Moments later, the Celtic keeper had to stretch to catch an attempted lob by Dargo as the Celtic backline threatened to dissolve, as they did when Thomson completed his brace three minutes later. St Mirren: Gallacher, Ross, Mair, Potter, Murray, Dorman, Mehmet, Thomson, Brady, Robb, Dargo. Subs: Howard, Higdon, O'Donnell, Loy, McLennan, Devlin. |