Celtic Edge St Johnstone 1-0 in Tense Match

Mika Baur’s first Celtic goal was hardly a classic, but it carried the weight of a title defence and a growing winning streak with it.

One touch. One tap. One more step clear at the top.

At a tense McDiarmid Park, Celtic stretched their perfect start to the Scottish Premiership season to six wins from six, edging past stubborn newcomers St Johnstone 1-0 and moving five points clear of Rangers. It was their 13th straight victory in all competitions, a run that stretches back into the closing weeks of last season, yet this one felt more like a grind than a glide.

O’Neill shuffles the pack

With a Europa League tie looming and an Old Firm double – cup and league – on the horizon, Martin O’Neill refused to gamble on fatigue. He made five changes, restoring Kasper Hogh from injury and handing Sam Johnstone a start in goal.

The reshuffle never quite clicked in the way he wanted. Celtic had the ball, they had the territory, but they never truly had control of the game in the way their manager demands.

“We made goalscoring, which is very difficult, almost impossible,” O’Neill admitted afterwards, a mixture of relief and irritation in his words. Celtic carved out enough chances to bury the contest. They left the door open instead.

St Johnstone strike first in belief

St Johnstone, unbeaten at McDiarmid Park this season before kick-off, refused to be overawed. They were organised, aggressive, and sharp on the break.

Early on, the warning signs were there for Celtic. Joel Cotterill, making his first start for the hosts, almost wrote the perfect script. On 19 minutes he met Alic’s low cross and looked certain to score, only for Johnstone to spring up and palm the ball over the bar – a huge save that O’Neill would later highlight as a turning point.

Before that, Haissem Hassan had already forced a strong stop from the Saints goalkeeper, Steward, as Celtic probed for an early breakthrough. McGregor saw a deflected shot fly past the post, Diabate had an effort hooked off the line by Donovan, and Tounekti’s wicked cross just evaded a decisive touch.

St Johnstone’s belief grew with every escape. By half-time, Celtic knew they were in a fight.

Right after the restart, the pattern continued. McAlear skipped past McGregor and teed up Steven, but his shot went straight at Johnstone. Another chance gone. Another reminder that the champions were walking a tightrope.

Baur breaks through

The pressure finally told on 52 minutes.

Hassan, bright and direct all afternoon, drove down the flank and whipped in a low cross. Baur had ghosted into the perfect position and, from close range, he simply couldn’t miss. A simple tap-in, a landmark moment: his first goal for Celtic.

The finish was routine. The significance was not. It settled the away end, settled a nervous Celtic side, and briefly seemed to settle the contest.

Celtic thought they had their cushion on 66 minutes. Hogh headed the ball back across goal, Hassan lashed it in and wheeled away, believing he had his own first Celtic goal. The assistant’s flag and the referee’s decision cut the celebrations short. The ball had gone out of play before Hogh’s header, the officials ruled.

Replays sparked debate, but not enough to overturn anything.

“There’s no way of telling and you have to go with the on-field decision,” said Sky Sports pundit James McFadden. Without definitive proof the ball had stayed in, the assistant’s call stood. For Hassan, it was a brutal near-miss.

Saints won’t go away

The disallowed goal kept St Johnstone alive, and they responded with real intent. Alic went inches wide with a low effort on 80 minutes that had Johnstone scrambling. Moments later, Hogh and Nygren both drew further saves from Steward as the game swung from end to end.

Valakari’s side had already shown they could hurt Celtic. Diabate had gone close, Steven had passed up a big chance, and their counters carried menace. What they lacked was composure in the final act.

“We definitely had our moments,” said manager Simo Valakari. “When we get our own chance, can we take it? And we did not take it today.”

He was right. St Johnstone created enough to take something from the game. They just didn’t finish.

Celtic get it done – just

Celtic, for their part, kept wasting opportunities to kill the contest. Forrest produced a brilliant solo effort, twisting away from defenders on the edge of the box before Steward palmed his shot away. Hassan curled another effort that the goalkeeper pushed past the post. Nygren met a Forrest cross and headed straight at Steward.

O’Neill watched it all with growing exasperation. “We could have scored a number of goals, we didn’t do,” he said. “It was just kind of crazy, really.”

Crazy, but enough.

Celtic saw out the final minutes, tightened up at the back, and protected Johnstone, whose first-half save from Cotterill loomed large over the result. The champions were never comfortable, but they were ruthless in the only column that matters: points.

St Johnstone left with frustration and a measure of pride. Celtic left with another win, another clean sheet, and a five-point gap at the top.

Now comes the real question. With a Europa League tie and Rangers waiting in both cup and league, is this narrow, nerve-jangling victory a warning sign – or the mark of champions who know how to suffer and still find a way?