Players with Meath connection help achieve shock victory

St Mirren inflicted more pain on Celtic in the Scottish Premiership today with players Jamie McGrath, Dylan Connolly and Jake Doyle-Hayes, who all have Meath connections, featuring.

The Saints won 2-1 with the help of first-half goals from Kristan Dennis and Ilkay Durmus with Odsonne Edouard getting one back for the home team. It was the first time in 31 years that St Mirren won in Parkhead.

The win lifts St Mirren to sixth in the table and leaves Celtic 23 points behind Rangers.

The victory follows St Mirren's impressive performance against Dundee Utd in midweek. On that occasion McGrath scored twice and Connolly once as Jim Goodwin's side defeated Dundee Utd 5-1.

Today St Mirren were able to comfortably contain a Celtic team that has clearly lost its way with this defeat yet another humiliating blow for the Hoops in a season that has turned into a nightmare.

Athboy man McGrath is enjoying a fine season for St Mirren performing consistently well at midfield while also getting his quota of goals.

Connolly, who is from Johnstown, has also impressed and he delivered the pass that allowed Dennis in for the opening goal in today's encounter that leaves Celtic wondering what to do next as they seek to salvage something from a terrible campaign.

Connolly was substituted in the second-half and among those to come off the bench for St Mirren was Doyle-Hayes, as the visitors went on to savour a famous victory for them. Jake Doyle-Hayes's mother is from Drumree.

The result will leave Celtic supporters, many of them in Meath, concerned about the direction the club is going.

On Friday it was announced chief executive Peter Lawwell is retiring as the club stumble from one crisis to the next.