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Page last updated at 16:17 GMT, Sunday, 14 November 2010

St Mirren v Celtic as it happened

GOALFLASHES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times GMT)

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By Colin Moffat

1615: Remember you can see highlights from all of yesterday's Scottish Premier League games on the BBC Sport website from 1800 GMT. You'll have to wait until after midnight to see Celtic's narrow victory. Thanks for your company and enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

1610: The Celtic boss ends his interview with BBC Radio Scotland saying: "I'd just like to add that I thought the referee had a great game." A bit of light relief after weeks of ref-bashing in the Scottish top flight.

1608: "That was a brilliant performance, we got what we deserved," says a relieved Celtic manager Neil Lennon. "Credit to St Mirren, they made it difficult for us, they were dogged and committed. Gary Hooper wasn't at his best today but he did what he's paid for."

1606: That was Gary Hooper's 10th goal of the season since his summer move from Scunthorpe. He knocked in a late winner at Tannadice last month and he's done the same again today.

My Sport
From archiepellagow On My Sport: "Yet again a last gasp winner from Hooper. We got lucky today, St Mirren could have taken all of the points. However, three more points in the bag, I'll settle for that."

My Sport
From bigmc1_9 On My Sport: "Celtic deserved that. Not the best we have played but St Mirren settled for a point after the 60th minute and if you want to sit back and soak up the pressure one break of the ball is all it takes to turn a game."

Full time
1555: Full-time: St Mirren 0-1 Celtic
Celtic end the weekend one point behind SPL leaders Rangers thanks to Gary Hooper's last-gasp goal. It's tough luck on St Mirren, who battled gamely throughout.

Goooooooaaaaaaaaal
Would you believe it? It's a sickener for St Mirren right at the death as the ball bobbles around in the penalty area before Gary Hooper stabs it into the net at the second time of asking. Hooperman to the rescue...

1553: GOAL! St Mirren 0-1 Celtic (Hooper)

1551: St Mirren striker Michael Higdon has his head in his hands after his volley from the edge of the penalty area fizzes wide. Three additional minutes to be played...

1547: Five minutes of regulation time left. Can St Mirren continue to frustrate Celtic?

1544: Paddy McCourt is often described as unpredictable and few would have guessed the ball would land outside the stadium when it fell at his feet 20 yards out...

1542: Michael Higdon lets fly with another shot from distance but this one fizzes six yards wide. His strike partner Gareth Wardlaw goes off to warm applause, with defender David Barron coming on for the Paisley side.

1541: St Mirren look tired now and the home team are dropping deeper and deeper as Celtic press for a breakthrough goal in the final 10 minutes or so.

1538: A great raking pass from Ki rips open the St Mirren defence but Darren McGregor gets back to make a sliding challenge on Niall McGinn and the Irishman's shot spins into the grateful arms of Craig Samson.

1536: Paddy McCourt is on for Celtic, with Juarez making way. The Mexican looked a little lost this afternoon.

1535: Celtic find Murphy with another high ball but McGinn scuffs his first-time shot wide from the edge of the penalty area.

1531: Niall McGinn hits a shot straight at Craig Samson from inside the penalty area before Steven Thomson gets a huge cheer from the home crowd. The Buddies sub, on for Sean Lynch, scored a double when Celtic were last in Paisley.

My Sport
From SrnasLoveChild On My Sport: "Oh dear. Maloney's miss was mistakenly given as a throw in for Celtic it was that bad."

1529: Well. it's certainly livelier now, although there is a distinct lack of quality on show. We've only really had one moment of magic; that shot from Michael Higdon that rattled the crossbar. Will the stalemate be broken?

1524: A shocking miss from Celtic captain Shaun Maloney, who somehow misses the target from the angle of the six yard box. St Mirren immediately spring an attack and Fraser Forster has to beat away a powerful, rising shot from Gareth Wardlaw.

1523: Another change in personnel for Celtic, as Niall McGinn replaces Cha Du Ri.

1522: Murphy is involved right away, nodding a route one ball into the path of Gary Hooper but Craig Samson holds on to the little English forward's header.

1519: Anthony Stokes has run his race. Daryl Murphy replaces his Irish team-mate in the Celtic attack.

1518: I don't want to tempt fate but it looks like the game has sparked to life as Shaun Maloney cuts in from the left and sends a rising, angled strike over the St Mirren crossbar.

1515: "A fantastic effort from Michael Higdon." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Jackie McNamara, says it like he sees it. No need to go over the top.

Someone has struck the woodwork
1514: Whooooafff! Out of the blue, Buddies striker Michael Higdon sends a sweet looping half-volley crashing against the crossbar from all of 30 yards. Fraser Forster was beaten all ends up.

1510: Gareth Wardlaw gives Daniel Majstorovic a hard time near the corner flag, with the St Mirren forward unlucky not win a foul. That's an experienced Swedish international up against a geezer who was working as a postman until this summer.

1508: Celtic force a corner and the ball is worked out to Mark Wilson, who balloons a shot high into the stand containing the visiting supporters.

1506: The teams are back out after a half-time cuppa. Let's hope for better fare in the second half.

My Sport
From legendaryonzoutt On My Sport: "Why have so many Celtic fans been wanting Juarez in the team? He has done nothing so far."

1451: "The home team will be a whole lot happier with that first half." BBC Radio Scotland commentator Rob Maclean has been starved of action to stretch his vocal talents.

Half time
1450: Half-time: St Mirren 0-0 Celtic
Well, that was awful. Absolutely nothing of note to report. St Mirren are working hard but keep giving the ball away, while Celtic have been oddly lacklustre.

1448: Referee Iain Brines gets a bit of stick from visiting fans as he inadvertently breaks up a Celtic passing move. St Mirren don't really need a helping hand to contain their opponents.

1445: At long last, Anthony Stokes fires in the game's first shot on target. But Buddies keeper Craig Samson has no trouble gathering the strike from distance.

1443: A nice passing move from Celtic culminates with Mark Wilson crossing into the penalty area and Cha Du Ri sending an awkward header a couple of feet over the crossbar.

1441: Teenager Kenny McLean breaks promisingly from midfield, weaving his way past several challenges but the St Mirren move is brought to a halt once he passes to an offside colleague.

1437: Maloney takes the resulting free-kick 22 yards out but it cannons off the defensive wall and out for a corner, which comes to nothing.

Yellow card
1436: Saints defender John Potter, also sporting a mighty moustache, is booked for a naughty trip on Shaun Maloney as the Celtic skippered scampered goalwards.

1433: Referee Iain Brines is sporting a fine 1970s tash. It's positively bristling on his top lip. I presume he's supporting the Movember campaign for men's cancer awareness. I'm afraid it's that kind of game, folks. Let's hope we get some action soon to distract me from the facial furniture on display.

1427: St Mirren win a free kick 25 yards out and visiting keeper Fraser Forster has to punch the ball to safety under pressure after the ball takes a wicked looping deflection off the defensive wall.

1424: "Celtic have been pretty sloppy so far and it's all a bit laboured." Former Celtic captain Jackie McNamara, joins the BBC Radio Scotland commentary team for the day.

1423: St Mirren are working hard, packing men behind the ball and snapping at the heels of their opponents but they haven't been able to hold on the ball for any meaningful length of time.

1419: Celtic are enjoying more and more possession, with Izaguirre providing a potent attacking threat down the left flank. Still nothing to trouble either goalkeeper.

1415: Both sets of fans are in good voice but there hasn't been much to set the pulses racing in the early stages. It's all a bit stop-start.

1410: Celtic full-back Emilio Izaguirre whips in a splendid cross but Cha Du Ri appears to lose the ball in flight and fails to make contact inside the six-yard box. That's a let-off for the home side.

1408: Right on cue. Mr Higdon has a pop from inside the centre circle but his ambitious shot drifts harmlessly wide.

1407: "Michael Higdon hasn't been fully fit but there's no doubt when he scores for St Mirren that he's a big player for them." Motherwell skipper Stephen Craigan is a BBC Radio Scotland pundit today.

1406: St Mirren are in their traditional black and white vertical stripes, while Celtic are in a garish all-green ensemble a bit like the colour of lime Opal Fruits, sorry Starbursts, showing my age there...

1404: Celtic kick off after an impeccable minute's silence on this Remembrance Sunday.

It's sunny
1401: It's a lovely sunny day in Paisley, although it's a bit nippy out there. The teams are on the pitch, shaking hands before battle commences...

1358: "Juarez is a straight swap for the suspended Ledley. Thomas Rogne comes back after suspension and Cha will give us extra pace on the right. I'm looking for a positive performance today." Celtic manager Neil Lennon also has a quick word with BBC Scotland's touchline reporter Chick Young.

1356: "Two changes for us today but that's been the story throughout this season. That's why you have a squad. Very rarely do you get the Old Firm losing back-to-back games." St Mirren manager Danny Lennon talks to BBC Radio Scotland.

1355: There have been wholesale changes at Celtic since they were hammered in Paisley back in March. Only Wilson and Ki survive from the starting XI that evening. It's a similar story for the home side, with John Potter the only man in black and white that started that famous win for the Buddies.

My Sport
From micklauren On My Sport: "Celtic will bounce back today. First goal important no doubt, but I think it will tight at the top come 15:45ish."

My Sport
From archiepellagow On My Sport: "I'm expecting a reaction to Wednesday's defeat at Tynecastle from the Celts. St Mirren will give them a tough time I should think but I'm going for a 3-1 win for the visitors."

1348: St Mirren's 2-1 triumph at Tannadice came courtesy of a fine double from striker Michael Higdon and lifted the Buddies off the bottom of the league to the dizzy heights of ninth place. A win today would see them open a five-point gap on current basement side Hamilton Accies.

1345: Both Lennons, Neil and Danny, will be in the dugout today. The Celtic gaffer was dismissed from the touchline during Wednesday's 2-0 defeat at Hearts but any ban will not come into play for at least another week.

My Sport
From BlueNose3IAR On My Sport: "St. Mirren have it in them to upset Celtic today. Celtic players will be hurting after Tynecastle and St. Mirren can capitalise, whether they will is a different matter."

1340: Efrain Juarez comes into the Celtic midfield for the suspended Joe Ledley, while defender Thomas Rogne returns from a one-game ban to replace Jos Hooiveld and full-back Cha Du-Ri replaces forward Georgios Samaras, who drops out of the squad altogether. St Mirren are without Paul McGowan due to the terms of his loan deal from Celtic and Hugh Murray, who has a fractured cheek bone. Teenager Kenny McLean makes his first home start, with Sean Lynch also finding a place in the starting eleven.

1337: Team news from St Mirren Park:
St Mirren: Samson, McAusland, Potter, McGregor, van Zanten, Lynch, Cregg, McLean, Travner, Higdon, Wardlaw. Subs: Mathers, Thomson, Barron, McCluskey, Mooy, Lamont, McKernon.
Celtic: Forster, Wilson, Majstorovic, Rogne, Izaguirre, Cha, Ki, Juarez, Maloney, Stokes, Hooper. Subs: Zaluska, McGinn, Hooiveld, McCourt, Murphy, Towell, Crosas.

1334: This is Celtic's first visit to Paisley since they were humbled 4-0 in March of this year. That was the last sorry episode in Tony Mowbray's short reign at the club and, of course, opened the door for Neil Lennon. Celtic have already avenged that defeat with victory by the same scoreline in Glasgow in August.

1330: Good afternoon and welcome to our coverage of St Mirren v Celtic. The match kicks off at 1400 GMT, with the visitors aiming to close the gap on Scottish Premier League leaders Rangers. However, the home side will be in buoyant mood following their midweek win at Dundee United.



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Scottish Premier results

14 Nov 2010 23:59 UK


Scottish Premier table snapshot

As it stood on 14 Nov 2010 23:59 UK

PositionTeamPGDPTS
1Rangers131834
2Celtic132333
3Hearts13723
4Motherwell13622
5Inverness CT13621
6Dundee Utd13-518
7Kilmarnock13517
8Hibernian13-614
9St Mirren13-1211
10St Johnstone13-1311
11Aberdeen13-1310
12Hamilton13-169

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