Four months on, all change as Celtic & St Mirren meet at Hampden again A little over four months ago, Hampden Park was the scene of unbridled joy for St Mirren and crushing disappointment for Celtic. The Paisley Saints outplayed and outfought Wilfried Nancy’s Celtic to claim the Scottish League Cup for the second time. A second-minute header from Marcus Fraser and a second-half double from Jonah Ayunga secured the victory, etching the moment in St Mirren history. Nancy, who had taken charge just 33 days earlier, was dismissed after three consecutive defeats, marking the end of his brief tenure. Celtic, already in turmoil during the season, saw Nancy replaced by Martin O'Neill, who took interim charge for the second time this season. O'Neill, a former Celtic legend, led the team back to Hampden for a Scottish Cup semi-final, though his side has struggled with consistency. A dramatic penalty shootout victory against Rangers in a league match brought them to the semi-final, but O'Neill admitted his team is not yet capable of lifting the trophy. He stated, “We’re not good enough for me to think about lifting the trophy,” a stark contrast to his earlier ambitions. St Mirren, meanwhile, faced their own managerial upheaval. Stephen Robinson, who guided the club to three consecutive top-six finishes and a League Cup win, left for Aberdeen in March. His successor, Craig McLeish, a former academy product of the club, has stepped in to lead the team through the remainder of the season. McLeish, who has won two of his four matches since taking charge, expressed confidence in his squad’s ability to challenge Celtic again. The semi-final clash at Hampden on Sunday represents a stark contrast to their previous meeting.#st_mirren #martin_oneyll #celtic #mark_ohara #jacob_devaney
