Celtic striker Chris Sutton pressed his case for an England recall with a well-taken goal to help sink St Mirren to keep the Parkhead outfit on top of the Scottish Premier League.

With the England national side's well-documented problems on and off the pitch the £6million marksman produced a timely reminder that he could be the answer to their prayers.

The former Chelsea and Blackburn star headed home in the first half and Swedish star Henrik Larsson produced a clinical late strike to wrap up the points - but ominously for the rest of the League, Celtic were again not at their best.

This was always going to be tough for the visitors as Martin O'Neill's side looked fresh from the start and it took just two minutes for them to create their first opening.

Paul Lambert found Didier Agathe down the right flank and the striker delivered a great right-foot cross to Henrik Larsson but the Swede headed just over the bar.

But they should have took the lead just four minutes later as the home side launched their assault on the visiting goal.

Larsson played a perfectly-weighted ball over the top to Moravcik, who jinked past Hugh Murray, but the Slovakian curled his right-foot effort just over the bar.

St Mirren goalkeeper Derek Scrimgour, who was making his first appearance in 20 months, had to produce a good save to deny Moravcik's long-range effort in the 14th minute and Larsson could only hit the follow-up over the bar again.

The Glasgow giants continued to apply the pressure and in the 22nd minute they came agonisingly close to making the vital breakthrough as Agathe's pace continued to continued to cause the St Mirren defence problems.

He launched a dangerous raid down the right flank and got to the by-line before firing the ball across the face of goal, but luckily Iain Nicholson was on hand to make a crucial interception with Alan Thompson lurking ominously at the far post.

Larsson continued to have a frustrating match snd in the 27th minute he was presented with guilt-edged opportunity to open his account.

St Mirren keeper Scrimgour failed to claim Moravcik's corner and the ball came to the Swede, just six yards out, but he headed wide of the mark.

St Mirren suffered a blow moments later as the injured Lee Sharp came off for Sergei Baltacha, who was called down from the stand just before kick-off to sit on the bench.

Celtic continued to dominate and Larsson again tried to break his hoodoo, two minutes later, but he blazed high over the bar from Moravcik's defence-splitting through ball.

But the home side refused to give up and in the 34th minute their work was rewarded and it was left to Chris Sutton to apply the finish in simple fashion.

Moravcik's corner came to the striker, just six yards out, and unlike Larsson he headed emphatically home despite the desperate attempts of the St Mirren defenders on the line.

Scrimgour was having a busy afternoon and he had to save from Moravcik in the 36th minute and Larsson in the 40th minute.

Larsson again went close just two minutes before the break when he got on the end of Stilian Petrov's cross and his header looped onto the roof of the net.

The Swede should have finally broke his duck and doubled Celtic's lead in the 51st minute when he was one-on-one with the keeper but he pulled his effort just wide.

St Mirren fired a warning to the home side in the 52nd minute when Nicholson's long-range effort flashed just over Jonathan Gould's crossbar.

Celtic's nerves were tested again in the 56th minute when Nicholson crossed for Mark Yardley in the centre of the box but his effort went straight at a relieved Gould.

It was Thompson's turn on the hour to squander the next chance as Petrov played him through, but he too pulled his effort wide with just the keeper to beat.

And they should have have killed the game off in the 64th minute and it was Agathe this time who squandered the best chance of the game.

Larsson played the ball through for the striker and he rounded the keeper but blazed into the side-netting with the visiting defence struggling to get back.

The lack of composure in front of goal seemed to be spreading and a minute later Larsson found Petrov, but the Bulgarian let the ball slip under his feet.

Thompson took his frustrations out on Scott Walker in the 67th minute when he accused him of overreacting to a challenge and he went into the referee's notebook.

Scrimgour produced the heroics in the 74th minute with a finger tip save from Thompson's shot after some good build-up play from Agathe and Petrov.

But Celtic wrapped up the points with just six minutes to go and it was Larsson who made up for his earlier wastefullnes as he thumped home a crisp right-foot free-kick from 20 yards out.