Scotland: Champions Celtic win on final day

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 Celtic 3-2 St Mirren

The last game of the season at Celtic Park ended with three points for the champions.

Matt O'Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma all for the hosts. Mark O'Hara had put St Mirren ahead twice as they threatened to try and spoil the party. 

Joe Hart last game at Celtic Park

Towards the end of the match, Celtic keeper Joe Hart was substituted and the Celtic goalkeeper looked emotional as he made his way from the field in what is believed to be his final league appearance as a professional footballer.

During the trophy celebrations, Hart addressed the supporters. He said: "You guys are absolutely phenomenal. You've made me feel so special. Thank you so much for having me."

Celtic make changes, but players impress in an entertaining match.

Rodgers made six changes to his starting line-up, and it's unlikely that next Saturday's Scottish Cup final team against Rangers will look the same.

The manager has mostly depended on predecessor Ange Postecoglou's squad to secure the league title for Celtic, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a similar approach at Hampden.

St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson mentioned before the match that his team needed to score during their dominant periods, and O'Hara came through on that front.

In the second half, they faced intense defensive pressure and nearly managed to hold on. Overall, the match provided a fitting conclusion to the Premiership season for both the champions and the Europe-bound St Mirren.

Brendan Rodgers' side ended their league season with 93 points and a four-point advantage at the top.

St Mirren, in fifth, posted a points return of 45 in their second successive season finishing in the top half. They have also qualified for next season's Europa Conference League. This was a fine season for them. 

Previous Celtic stories from the 2023/2024 season

It looked like it was going to be a difficult season for Celtic at times, but their run towards the end of the season made sure they were deserved champions. An eight-point lead over Rangers feels like it's about right given the ability of both squads. They now have a cup final to look forward to. Check below for some recent match reports. 

Scotland: Celtic champions again (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)

Scotland: Celtic almost clinch another title (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) 

Scotland: Celtic ease to win against Hearts (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)

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