Celtic         4
St Mirren   1

IT has been all about the numbers for Celtic this season. And as they trudged into the dressing room at half-time at Parkhead yesterday, the only figure on their minds was three.

Yet, following their return to the pitch, two goals inside 60 seconds turned this William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-final on its head and kept their treble aspirations alive. Celtic will now face Rangers in the next round of the competition.

This game resulted in an anxiety that few would have predicted beforehand, after St Mirren scored the opening goal through Harry Davis following a 13th-minute free-kick, and retained that lead until the break. However, Celtic pulled themselves out of the mire with a strong second period as the usual suspects shone brightly, Scott Sinclair most of all. Mikael Lustig got the goal that Celtic craved as they got a toehold back into the game after 58 minutes. A minute later, Sinclair netted an exquisite effort to put them ahead.

From there on in, strikes from Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths put the Parkhead side into a comfort zone that seemed far off the radar when they headed in for a half-time breather. However, it was one of last season’s leading lights that helped to orchestrate the change, with Leigh Griffiths, a second-half replacement for Nir Bitton, contributing to a 60-second turnaround. It was the running of Griffiths as he chased a long ball and drew a foul from St Mirren’s Stelios Demetriou that provided the free-kick from which Celtic found the crucial leveller.

And where they had slept through an opening period that had allowed St Mirren to take a shock but deserved lead, they shook off their slumber to emerge into a second half full of the vim and vigour that has marked much of this season.

After an unsatisfactory first half, manager Brendan Rodgers rang the changes quickly, with his substitutions quickly and effectively making their mark. First was Patrick Roberts who took over from Gary Mackay-Steven at the start of the second half. The former Dundee United winger took a hefty boot to the head as he went for a ball in the penalty box but even allowing for any subsequent effects, his overall contribution had been poor as he lost his way repeatedly with the ball.

Roberts’s pace and trickery made a difference and when Griffiths took over from Nir Bitton after 54 minutes, Celtic were quick to establish the firm grip on the game that had eluded them for the entirety of the first period. Griffiths had a hand in the leveller as he chased the ball down the channel, drawing a foul from Stelios Demetriou. Roberts supplied the delivery into the box and Lustig headed it into the net.

Almost immediately before that, Celtic had had a massive slice of luck when Moussa Dembele cracked his own crossbar with an attempted clearance – as the ball came down behind Craig Gordon, the goalkeeper could only look with relief as the effort did not cross the line. Celtic’s response was prompt. Off went Bitton, on went Griffiths and within a minute they were on top for the first time in the game.

Sinclair created Celtic’s third in the 67th minute, breaking upfield and playing a one-two with Roberts before squaring to Dembele, who side-footed the ball into an empty net to take his tally for the campaign to 32. Griffiths got in on the goals in the 77th minute when he lashed home from fully 25 yards out.

Jack Ross’s side had taken the lead when they capitalised on a home defence that looked uncharacteristically sloppy. Cameron Smith’s cross was knocked down by John Sutton and, with the Celtic defenders static, Davis, on loan from Crewe, was played onside by Dedryck Boyata and stole in at the back post to knock the ball into the net from close range.

It was not enough of a shock for Celtic to take note with St Mirren forcing Boyata to clear his lines and concede a corner shortly after as the Championship side, emboldened by their opener, went for another. It said much about Celtic’s performance – and St Mirren’s tactics – that in that opening half-hour visiting goalkeeper Billy O’Brien had just one save to make, collecting a relatively tame effort from Stuart Armstrong.

There was no real surprise that the changes were rung at the break – but what might have raised an eyebrow was just how different the second-half performance was from the first 45. It could have finished with Celtic bagging six with two goals chopped off for offside. There were few complaints, though, as Celtic ultimately eased their way through to a semi-final meeting with Rangers.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rodgers: Ross’s side best we’ve faced this season

BRENDAN Rodgers said following Celtic’s win yesterday that  St Mirren were the best team  his side have faced in Scotland  this season.

Rodgers praised former Alloa manager Jack Ross for the work he has done with the Paisley side since taking over last October.

The Celtic manager said: “They are the best team that we have played domestically, including Premiership teams, without any shadow of a doubt.

“How they are at the bottom of [the Championship] I do not know. They are a very good side.

“We played Alloa here so I’ve got an idea of his coaching ability. He’s obviously a very good coach. He’s gone in there and he’s obviously got them very well organised.

“There were a couple of moments in the game that made me think of the level of coach. It’s just that extra level of detail which can define coaches. I saw that in his team today.

“They have good speed, they have young players with enthusiasm and energy that can hurt you.”