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Guidetti double gives Celtic all three points

St Mirren score first home league goal of season

Celtic win ahead of Dinamo Zagreb's Europa League visit

A John Guidetti double gave Celtic a hard-fought victory at St Mirren Park.

The on-loan Manchester City forward, 22, was credited with the opening goal after a scramble in the penalty box involving St Mirren's Jim Goodwin.

However, Kenny McLean fired into an empty net to level early in the second half after team-mate Jason Naismith had been denied by goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

Marian Kello was unable to keep out a near-post shot by Guidetti and Celtic held their lead on this occasion.

The Swede, who had netted his first Celtic goal in Wednesday's Scottish League Cup win over Hearts, is ineligible for Thursday's Europa League Group D meeting with Dinamo Zagreb as his loan move had not been finalised in time for Uefa's deadline.

Guidetti's eventful week The Swede made his full Celtic debut against Motherwell last Sunday His first goal arrived three days later in the cup win over Hearts Breaking his Premiership duck helped secure Saturday's win over St Mirren

However, in Paisley, the Sweden international strengthened his case to be the central striker in Ronny Deila's desired three-pronged attack.

The pace and forcefulness of Celtic's early approach may have led the home fans to believe they were in for a long 90 minutes, but it was St Mirren who carved out the first real chance.

McLean won the ball in midfield and squared for Thomas Reilly, whose dipping shot from 30 yards rattled the crossbar with Gordon beaten.

That effort appeared to inspire the Buddies in their quest for a first league goal at St Mirren Park this term and there was much more confidence in their play for the remainder of the first half.

Celtic's play lacked the fluency that had secured their midweek win and, save for an Anthony Stokes dipping shot wide from the left, Deila's side were fairly inactive in the final third.

Guidetti got beyond St Mirren's defence on the half-hour mark but Jeroen Tesselaar slid in superbly to send the ball out.

And, although the Swede may not have made the final touch on Celtic's opener, his presence in the six-yard box following Scott Brown's low cross was crucial.

Kello made an initial save after Goodwin got a challenge in on Guidetti, but the ball ricocheted back into the net off a combination of the two tackling players.

St Mirren's goal stats The Buddies netted their first league goal in the 2-1 loss to Kilmarnock on 13 September Callum Ball and Kenny McLean netted in their first league win over Partick Thistle on 19 September McLean's leveller in the 2-1 defeat by Celtic was St Mirren's first home league goal this season Overall, The Buddies have scored six goals in their nine matches in all competitions this term

Having finally started to impose themselves, Celtic surrendered their lead cheaply at the start of the second half.

Gordon threw the ball straight to Sean Kelly, who released John McGinn on St Mirren's left.

Naismith diverted McGinn's low centre towards goal and, although Gordon blocked well, McLean was on hand to convert the rebound.

The leveller, though fortuitous, was merited, but Tommy Craig's men allowed Celtic to take control in the final half-hour, with Guidetti again at the forefront.

The striker latched on to Stokes' reverse pass and struck through the grasp of Kello, who may have done better.

And the visitors had chances to add to their lead, with Virgil van Dijk bending a free-kick wide and Callum McGregor shooting too high from open play.

A scramble in the box resulted in the opening goal

Guidetti was credited with the goal

McLean was well placed to draw St Mirren level

Deila and captain Brown had to re-group in order to get Celtic ahead again

There was no debate about who had scored Celtic's second goal