Scottish Cup

Fifth-Round

SMiSA Stadium, Paisley

ST MIRREN… 0

CELTIC… 2

(Kyogo 15, Maeda 53)

Celtic advanced into the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup with a routine 2-0 victory over St Mirren in Paisley.

Kyogo’s 12^th goal of the season gave the Hoops an early lead in the fifth-round tie which was doubled by Daizen Maeda’s early second-half strike to keep the dreams of a date at Hampden on May 25 alive.

After the dramatic victory over Hibernian on Wednesday night, Celtic’s defence of the Scottish Cup continued in Paisley as they looked to advance into the quarter-finals.

Adam Idah’s two goals in Leith kept his place in the starting XI, and he was also joined by Kyogo with the pair looking to steer the Hoops into the next round.

Idah had Celtic’s first chance after 10 minutes as he wriggled past his marker and steered a shot into the net from a tight angle, however, the Republic of Ireland striker took the ball over the by-line during the process.

Just five minutes later and the ball was in the net again, this time there was nothing wrong with the finish as Kyogo made it 1-0 to Celtic.

Callum McGregor started the attack by setting Luis Palma free down the left, and with Idah running to the near post, Kyogo halted his run and received the cutback to the edge of the box, with his first-time finish nestling into the bottom right corner.

St Mirren weren't spooked by going a goal down and they almost equalised in the 31^st minute, with Alex Gogic smashing the crossbar with a swivelled shot inside the box.

Celtic would then have a flurry of opportunities in the space of a few minutes. First of all it was Idah who went close on the 37^th minute but his effort deflected the wrong side of the right post.

Then Daizen Maeda was narrowly close to turning Palma’s dangerous cross into the net as he steamed into the near-post but turned his shot wide.

With the board for stoppage time going up, Gogic went close again for St Mirren, this time producing a stunning acrobatic overhead kick from 18 yards which made Joe Hart pull off a brilliant low save

Kyogo fires in opener as Celts progress in Scottish Cup