Celtic found the net inside the opening minute through Daizen Maeda after a costly error from St Mirren goalkeeper Ryan Mullen, setting the stage for a tense Scottish Cup semi final on Sunday at Hampden.
Across that first half, Celtic and Viljami Sinisalo had supporters on edge, along with Martin O’Neill, with their risky build up play from the back.
There were at least two moments where St Mirren could have capitalised on Celtic’s careless, sluggish, and chaotic passing out from defence, with Neil Lennon saying on commentary that O’Neill would have been “mad” with Sinisalo.
“Honestly, what are we watching here?” screamed Lennon. “It’s absolute madness. It will drive Martin O’Neill mad.
“I can’t believe what I am watching here from top professional players of both teams. If I know Martin O’Neill the way I do, he will be fizzing inside with what he is seeing here.”
Neil Lennon and Alan Hutton baffled by Celtic and Viljami Sinisalo playing out from the back:
Whenever Sinisalo has featured between the posts for Celtic in the past, it has usually been with Kasper Schmeichel still around.
But with Schmeichel now sidelined for the long term, it has pushed Sinisalo right into the spotlight, and this proved to be a challenging outing for the Finnish goalkeeper.
That said, things could have turned out very differently. Yes, Celtic eventually beat St Mirren 6-2 after extra time, but there is every chance the opposition could have taken their chances during the first 45 minutes.
Interestingly, Celtic will meet Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Cup final, and you wonder if he will look to exploit this aspect of the Hoops’ game.
It is hard to imagine O’Neill instructing his side to play in this manner, and it is more likely coming from the coaching staff and Shaun Maloney.
Either way, speaking on Premier Sports, both Alan Hutton and Lennon were stunned by what they kept witnessing.
Lennon: “Honestly, what are we watching here? It’s absolute madness. It will drive Martin O’Neill mad.”
Hutton: “It’s incredible how many times we have seen that in one game. I mean, he takes so long on the ball. It’s incredible. Phillips needs to do better and get it on target. Ayunga closes Sinisalo down. He just dithers on the ball.”
Lennon: “Everyone knows it’s his mistake. I mean, it’s crazy. Phillips needs to score or hit the target, anyway.
“I can’t believe what I am watching here from top professional players of both teams. If I know Martin O’Neill the way I do, he will be fizzing inside with what he is seeing here.”
Hutton: “Surely, you will be saying. If you are a manager of a team, and you are going in at half-time, why do you consistently do this? There is no need.
“I understand you want to keep possession of the ball. But there are better things. Find a man forward on the pitch.”
Lennon: “It’s just common sense, you know. It’s a semi-final of a cup. There are nerves. There is tension.
“But don’t give the opposition an easier way of getting back in the game, which St Mirren have done initially, and then Celtic have put themselves under pressure that they don’t need to do.”