Interim St Mirren manager Craig McLeish has previewed his side’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic.
In four meetings with the Paisley side this season, the Hoops haven’t had a single easy game – not least in the Premier Sports Cup Final in December.
Now back in the safe hands of Martin O’Neill, Celtic are hoping to continue a cup run which has already seen them go beyond regulation time twice.
The sides met in the league last week, and despite seeing positive signs on the way to a 1-0 defeat, McLeish is demanding more from his players.
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Craig McLeish excited to go ‘toe-to-toe’ with Celtic’s Martin O’Neill
The Saints boss said before the game: “We need to throw more punches, we need to land more punches in the final third, that’s the bit that we’re missing.
“There’s been loads over the last four games [against Celtic] that I’ve been really happy with.
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“What I keep saying to the players is we’re still lacking a full 90-minute performance where everything clicks. We hope it clicks on Sunday.”
“Martin [O’Neill] has so many years of experience and expertise, he’s got a great coaching team as well who will be trying to figure out ways to hurt us.
“We have to try and cover as many bases as we can. You have to be really creative with the ways that you try and counteract what the opposition do.
“We know that Celtic can hurt us at any moment. We just have to be ready and adaptable for whatever they throw at us.
“Getting to go toe-to-toe with Martin again two weeks in a row in this kind of setting at Hampden, I am looking forward to it.
“It’s just I don’t get carried away with it. It’s not about me, it’s about the group. We really understand the dangers that Celtic pose, but we can absolutely pose them threats as well.
“The benefit is we’ve won twice at Hampden this season. The other side of it is that it can be looked at as a revenge game for Celtic because of what happened in the previous final and they’ve got every right to use whatever fuel they need to to overcome us.
“I’m looking forward to it. I’m in a privileged position. I’m proud that I get to lead the team out. The group have been there before. It’s not new to them. I think the players are really confident.”
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Celtic’s previous meetings with St Mirren this season
The Saints travelled to Celtic Park on the opening day of the season, losing 1-0 to a late Luke McCowan winner for Brendan Rodgers’ Celts.
An even later winner decided the reverse fixture in Paisley: a long-range stunner from Callum McGregor after an adverse performance from O’Neill’s men.
The Premier Sports Cup final was just the third match of Wilfried Nancy’s tenure, but after full-time, the situation already felt unresolvable.
Last week, there was just a goal in it again, though McLeish has taken positivity from the aforementioned performance.
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