St Mirren exited the William Hill Scottish Cup at the quarter-final stage despite a valiant performance at Celtic Park.

The Buddies took the lead against Brendan Rodgers' treble chasers, the first team to do so at Celtic Park since Barcelona in November, and held it for 45 minutes before succumbing to two quick fire Celtic goals. 

The hosts took a firm grasp of the match after taking the lead and went on to score two more before the final whistle. 

Jack Ross had named the same starting eleven that defeated Hibernian on Wednesday night with two goal hero Stelios Demetriou keeping his place at left back and academy graduate, Stevie Mallan making his 100th Saints appearance. 

Saints started brightly and were ahead after just 12 minutes when loanee Harry Davis got his second goal for the club. The Buddies won a free kick deep in Celtic half. Mallan played the ball down the left channel to Cammy Smith, who had sneaked away from Gary Mackay-Steven and whipped in a brilliant ball onto the head of John Sutton. The big striker cushioned his header towards Davis who was unmarked 

It was a dream start for the Buddies and the first goal that had been scored against Celtic in domestic cup competition this season. 

Celtic had chances to level the match with Scott Brown firing a shot wide, Stuart Armstrong seeing a free kick deflect off the wall and Moussa Dembele having the best of the lot when he scuffed a chance wide after having the ball laid on a plate to him by Brown. 

But St Mirren were still in the lead and far from under the cosh. A great through ball from Stephen McGinn found Sutton who had broken the offside trap. He charged forward only to be tackled by Dedryck Boyata just as he was bearing down on goal.

Half Time: Celtic 0-1 St Mirren

The Buddies started the second half strongly, winning a corner after Kyle Magennis put pressure on Tierney.

Mallan whipped the ball in towards the heads of Gary MacKenzie and Davis before the ball came out to Sutton at the edge of the box. The striker lashed it goalward, only to see it come off Erik Sviatchenko and go out for another corner. 

Saints went agonisingly close to making doubling their lead moments later when a Mallan free kick deflected off Dembele and cannoned off the cross bar. The midfielder decided to go for goal from the angle with Celtic's French striker clipping the ball off the underside of the woodwork.

It looked like it was heading in but came back out to Davis who attempted to head back across goal but couldn't connect with it properly. 

It was a huge wake up call for Celtic and the Hoops were ahead six minutes later with two goals in a minute.

The first came after Stelios wiped out substitute Leigh Griffiths on the right hand touchline. A free kick was awarded and the Cypriot went into the book. Patrick Roberts, on as a half time substitution in place of Mackay-Steven, swung the corner into the box where it glanced off the head of Mikael Lustig beyond O'Brien to get Celtic back on level terms.

And a minute later Celtic were ahead through Scott Sinclair. The ball was sprayed out to the right by Griffiths to find Sinclair who broke into the box and curled the ball high into the top corner of the net to turn the match in the Hoops favour.

The Hoops took control of the match and extended their lead on 67 minutes when Dembele stroked home from just a few yards out to kill off Saints hopes of causing a cup upset. Sinclair stole the ball in St Mirren's half and sped forward before sending the ball to Roberts. Roberts then played a neat reverse ball to the winger who continued his run into the box and sent the ball across the face of goal to Dembele who knocked the ball into the net. 

Saints weren't out of the match completely though and could've cut the deficit to one when Lewis Morgan went close, sending an effort from the edge of the box just beyond the far post.

It just wasn't to be St Mirren's day though with Leigh Griffiths completing the scoring with just over 10 minutes remaining. The striker picked the ball up around 25 yards from goal and lashed a low shot beyond O'Brien. 

In the end Celtic's quality showed but for Jack Ross and the team they can be proud of their efforts at 

Full Time: Celtic 4-1 St Mirren

St Mirren: O'Brien, Irvine, MacKenzie (Baird 75), Davis, Stelios, Magennis (Storie 83), McGinn, Smith, Morgan, Sutton (Loy 70)
Subs Not Used: Langfield, Webster, O'Keefe, Fjelde

Celtic: Gordon, Lustig, Boyata, Sviatchenko, Tierney, Brown, Bitton (Griffiths 54), Armstrong (Kouassi 77), Mackay-Steven (Roberts 45), Sinclair, Dembele
Subs Not Used: De Vries, Simunovic, Gamboa,  McGregor

Referee: Steven McLean
Assistant Referee: Graeme Stewart
Assistant Referee: David Roome
Fourth Official: Willie Collum

Attendance: 27,455

Jack Ross names the same starting eleven as the team that defeated Hibernian at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on Wednesday night.

Two goal hero Stelios Demetriou continues at left back while Stephen Mallan makes his 100th Buddies appearance.

Josh Todd is cup tied and replaced on the bench by Conor O'Keefe.

St Mirren: O'Brien, Irvine, MacKenzie, Davis, Stelios, Magennis, McGinn, Mallan, Smith, Morgan, Sutton
Subs: Langfield, Webster, Baird, O'Keefe, Storie, Fjelde, Loy

Almost 2,000 primary six pupils have taken part in a series of safety workshops designed to keep Renfrewshire children safe.

The Safe Kids event, organised by the Renfrewshire Community Safety Partnership and hosted by St Mirren Football Club, covered everything from internet safety and drug and alcohol awareness to antisocial behaviour and responsible dog ownership.

Kids also composed their poems for Paisley ahead of the town's bid to be UK City of Culture 2021. The bid to win the culture competition will be submitted at the end of April.

At a special VIP day on Friday 24 February, five pupils were awarded certificates by Provost Anne Hall for their winning Safe Kids poster designs.

The winners were:

· Ava Logan, Ralston Primary

· Kaiden Lynch, St Peter's Primary

· Erin McGinnigle, Wallace Primary

· Abigail Nelson, Houston Primary

· Connice Luse, St James' Primary

Councillor Jacqueline Henry, convener of Renfrewshire Council's Education Policy board, said: "The key to the success of Safe Kids is the way it is delivered. The workshops allow the kids to have fun while they are learning about tough issues and keeping themselves safe.

"It is important to make sure our young people are equipped for the different risks they may face in their lives, particularly now that many have access to the internet at a young age.

"Initiatives like Safe Kids are a great way to give children the skills and confidence they need to make good decisions in difficult situations."

Councillor Eddie Devine, convener of Renfrewshire Council's Environment policy Board, said: "The members of Renfrewshire's Community Safety Partnership are working more closely than ever to make our communities safer.

"A key thrust of our activity is about providing kids with information on how to keep safe in a wide range of real-life situations.

"The kids really enjoy spending the day at St Mirren and all the partners bring a unique message to the children."

Safe Kids aims to keep children safe by reducing the number of accidents involving young people, promoting positive behaviour and reducing risks.

The Safe Kids workshops are supported by Renfrewshire Council, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, St Mirren Football Club, Who Cares Scotland, Tesco, The Rescue Cafe and Renfrewshire's Alcohol and Drugs Adolescent Resource (RADAR).

All kids who attended the event are being offered a free parent and child ticket for the match against Dunfermline on Saturday March 11. To find out how to claim your ticket email stephen.gallacher@stmirren.com 

Wednesday night's two goal hero, Stelios Demetriou, says that Sunday's match against Celtic provides the Buddies a chance to prove themselves on the big stage.

The full back, who scored his first goals for the club in the 2-0 win over Hibernian at the Paisley 2021 Stadium, admits the team are well aware of how difficult an opponent unbeaten Celtic are going to be. 

But the London-born Cypriot believes all the pressure is going to be on Brendan Rodgers' side come Sunday. 

Speaking to stmirren.com after the win over Hibernian, Stelios confessed that the William Hill Scottish Cup tie represents a big chance for he and his team mates to show what they are capable of.

It's a big opportunity," he said. "We all know the reality of this game, we all know who Celtic are and we know how long they are unbeaten. But it's a game where we have nothing to lose and we can go and show that we are a team that deserves to be higher up.

26 year-old Stelios scored his goals either side of half time, with the second coming just 42 seconds after the break. He admitted he was delighted to score his first goals in front of the home supporters and says he feels blessed to play in for the side every week.

I'm happy," he said. "Whoever scored tonight would be the same and the most important thing was the three points.

"But I'm double happy for the two goals and hopefully a few more will come until the end of the season.

"Every time I walk out of the dressing room and I see our fans here I'm so blessed that I play for this team. I've got this opportunity to step on to the field and play for historic team."

The Buddies have had to deal with the pressure that comes with being bottom of the league but have responded well in recent weeks with two big wins over Ayr United and Hibernian. And the Cypriot believes the way the team have reacted shows the character within the squad.

That shows big personalities," he said as he discussed the pressure that has been on the side in recent weeks.

"The real good football players show it when they are under pressure. The way we are working in training and what I am seeing up to now we have a lot of personalities in this dressing room and I think we are on a good road. 

"Since I've been playing we are unbeaten and that shows we are not going to give up. We are going to fight to stay in the division and we are showing that we are not a team that deserved to be in this position."

Saints make the short trip to the east end of Glasgow on Sunday for a lunch-time clash with Celtic in the last eight of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

This will be the first meeting between the sides since St Mirren dropped to the Championship at the end of season 2014/15 when Saints lost all three Premiership matches to the Glasgow side.

A lot has changed since then on the managerial front for both sides with Jack Ross now in charge of Saints and Brendan Rodgers at the managerial helm for Celtic.

Celtic are on a storm this season as they are undefeated in domestic competition with their only losses so far this term coming in The Champions’ League.  They sit a massive 27 points in front of Aberdeen in the Premiership table meaning they only need to take seven points from their eleven remaining games to land their sixth consecutive Premiership title.

Rodgers bagged his first trophy as Celtic manager in November when they ran out 3-0 winners against Aberdeen in the Betfred Cup final. They now have their eyes fixed on a treble with St Mirren being the next obstacle in their quest having already knocked out Albion Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle to reach the quarter-final stage of the Scottish Cup.

St Mirren have had good cup runs this season having made it to the final of the IRN-BRU Cup and going on to knock Spartans, Dundee and East Fife out of the Scottish cup to make it to Sunday’s tie with Celtic.

After a poor first half to the season Saints have found a bit of form since the turn of the year and go into the game at Glasgow on Sunday on the back of four straight wins.

The sides last met in the Scottish Cup four years ago almost to the day when a goal from St Mirren striker Esmael Goncalves was sandwiched between scores from Joe Ledley and Anthony Stokes. The sides had met two months earlier in the semi-final of the League Cup when Saints ran out 3-2 winners at The National Stadium.

Saints last Scottish Cup success against Celtic was on 7th March 2009 when Billy Mehmet’s second half penalty put St Mirren into the last four of the tournament.

The odds will certainly be against St Mirren on Sunday as many will look at the teams’ current positions with Celtic on top of the Premiership and Saints at the bottom of the Championship. But Jack Ross will take his side to Celtic Park looking to put them in place to try and upset the odds.

This coming Sunday (5th March), St Mirren head along the M8 to Glasgow to face Celtic in the last eight of the William Hill Scottish Cup at Celtic Park and then next Wednesday (8th March) Saints are on the road again this time to Kirkcaldy for a Ladbrokes Championship match-up with Raith Rovers at Stark's Park.

The latest info we have on Travel Clubs heading to Celtic Park and/or Stark's Park for these matches is as follows:

Tile Bar Supporters Bus

Celtic v St Mirren - 05/03/2017

The bus for Celtic Park will leave at 11:30am.

Bus tickets are now on sale in the bar.

Raith Rovers v St Mirren - 08/03/2017

The bus for the match against Raith Rovers at Kirkcaldy will leave at 5:15pm.

Bus tickets are now on sale in the bar.

Cockles Wilson Supporters Bus

Celtic v St Mirren - 05/03/2017

Our bus will be leaving at 11:30am for Celtic Park.

Bus tickets are now on sale in The Bankhouse.

Raith Rovers v St Mirren - 08/03/2017

We will be leaving at 5:00pm for the Raith Rovers game.

Bus tickets now on sale in The Bankhouse.

Chivas Travel Club

Celtic v St Mirren - 05/03/2017

We are sharing a bus with the North End Club for this match.

The bus will leave the Court Bar at 11:45am.

Bus tickets for our half of the bus are SOLD OUT.

Raith Rovers v St Mirren - 08/03/2017

We are sharing a bus with the North End Club for the Raith Rovers game.

The bus will leave the Court Bar at 5:45pm

Bus tickets on sale now from the Court Bar.

North End Travel Club

Celtic v St Mirren - 05/03/2017

The North End Travel Club will be sharing a bus with the Chivas Travel Club for the Celtic game.

The bus will leave St James' Street at 11:45am.

Bus tickets are now on sale in the Brewers Tap, £5 each.

Raith Rovers v St Mirren - 08/03/2017

We will be sharing a bus with the Chivas Travel Club for the Raith Rovers game at Kirkcaldy.

The bus will leave St James' Street at 5:45pm

Bus tickets are now on sale in the Brewers Tap

Tickets for the match are now on sale from the St Mirren Ticket Office up till 11:00am on Saturday 4th March.

Tickets must be purchased in advance as there will be no sales on the day of the match.

The St Mirren Ticket Office opening hours for the remainder of this week are as follows:

03/03/2017 - 10:00am to 2:00pm
04/03/2017 - 9:00am to 11:00am
05/03/2017 - CLOSED

Ticket Office Phone No: (0141) 840-6130.
St Mirren Ticket Office E-Mail: tickets@stmirren.com.

Additional Information for Travelling Fans

On Sunday (5th March), St Mirren head along the M8 to Glasgow to face Celtic in the quarter-finals of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

The ticket prices have now been confirmed for the cup tie at Celtic Park and these are shown above.

The referee on Sunday will be Steven McLean and he will be assisted by Graeme Stewart and David Roome. The fourth official will be William Collum.

For directions to Celtic Park click here

Under-21 International Challenge Match
Scotland v Estonia
Tuesday, 28 March 2017, kick-off TBC
Paisley 2021 Stadium, Paisley

Scotland will continue their preparations for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers with a home friendly match against Estonia on Tuesday, 28 March at the Paisley 2021 Stadium.

The match will provide coach Scot Gemmill with the chance to shape his new-look under-21 squad ahead of the forthcoming qualification campaign, which kicks off in September.

Scotland begin with a home match against Netherlands on Tuesday, 5 September.

They will also face England, Ukraine, Latvia and Andorra as they bid to reach the 2019 finals in Italy.

Players born in 1996 or later are eligible for selection at under-21 level for the upcoming qualifiers.

The kick-off time and admission prices for the friendly match with Estonia will be announced soon.

A selection of pictures from last night's 2-0 win over Hibernian at the Paisley 2021 Stadium as Saints picked up another valuable three points.

Full back Stelios Demetriou scored either side of half time to secure the win over Neil Lennon's table topping side.

Match gallery pictures by Allan Picken – © Allan Picken Photography and John Millar - © millarpictures

A delighted Jack Ross speaks to stmirren.com following the Buddies brilliant 2-0 win over table topping Hibernian in the Ladbrokes Championship.

A double from full back Stelios helped Saints to an assured win over the Hibees at the Paisley 2021 Stadium.