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Celtic now find themselves firmly in a mid-season crisis. Three games for Wilfried Nancy as the manager have resulted in the same number of defeats. The paucity of Celtic’s display in this League Cup final was so striking and so alarming that it is already fair to ask questions about Nancy’s suitability for this role. Celtic look a mess.
How St Mirren capitalised. This will rank among the finest days in the Paisley club’s history. St Mirren’s second-half showing in particular was excellent. They were fully deserving winners. Celtic had no reply to St Mirren’s tactical discipline.
Two-goal Jonah Ayunga was the St Mirren hero. To illustrate how far Celtic have fallen, Ayunga arrived in Scottish football from Morecambe. Here he was, dismantling a woeful Celtic backline.
St Mirren’s afternoon had started in the best way possible. Just 96 seconds had been played when Marcus Fraser headed home a Keanu Baccus corner. This marked the third goal in as many games Celtic had lost from a corner.
Scottish Premiership roundup: Braga and Kingsley take Hearts clear
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Cláudio Braga and Stephen Kingsley were on target as a resurgent Hearts won 2-0 away to misfiring Falkirk on Saturday night to move six points clear at the top of the Premiership. Buoyed by ending a four-game run without a victory with last Sunday’s triumph against their title rivals Celtic, the Jambos raced into an early lead through Braga. Hearts – who survived a Bairns penalty claim just before half-time – had to dig deep to keep their advantage intact before the substitute Kingsley killed off the Bairns’ hopes of getting back into the game with a brilliant strike in the 77th minute (pictured).
Celtic, who play St Mirren in the League Cup final on Sunday, have two games in hand.
Jim Goodwin admitted he understood why the Dundee United fans booed at the final whistle of the 0-0 Premiership draw with Motherwell. The result meant that the Terrors have now failed to win in their last seven matches. However, United manager Goodwin was determined to accentuate the positives, with his side keeping their first clean sheet since 23 September when they beat Aberdeen 2-0.
The Irishman said: "We understand the frustration from the supporters. They turned out in great numbers again today. We've kept a clean sheet against a really, really good team. I'm going to give my players a bit of credit, off the back of a really disappointing performance last weekend.
"We're not happy not to win the game. We don't set up to draw games of football. But we set up in a way out of respect to the opposition. Motherwell are a very good possession-based team. I think they're probably, at this moment, the best team in the country in terms of how they play the game."
Livingston fought back from two goals down to salvage an important point from a 2-2 draw in the bottom-of-the-table Premiership clash with Dundee. The visitors took control of the game with two goals in quick succession in the first half from Yan Dhanda and Cameron Congreve. After being booed off at the interval, Livingston improved in the second half and deservedly pulled one back through Jeremy Bokila. Then, just moments after coming on from the bench, Tete Yengi knocked an effort through the legs of Dundee goalkeeper Jon McCracken in the 85th minute. The draw moved Livingston to within three points of second-bottom Kilmarnock while Dundee climbed to 10th, four points better off than the Lions. PA Media
Photograph: Pete Summers/Shutterstock Editorial
Nancy’s men did rally. Reo Hatate met a deep Kieran Tierney cross to volley past Shamal George. Celtic teams of greater substance would have improved from there. This side regressed.
With Kasper Schmeichel in no man’s land, Ayunga met Alex Gogic’s cross to send St Mirren back in front. Gloss was added to St Mirren’s victory as Miguel Freckleton played a wonderful pass to the marauding Declan John, the Welshman played in Ayunga and the forward found the net. Nancy, earlier so demonstrative on the touchline, now looked a troubled soul. And no wonder.
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