Curtis Main's brace saw St Mirren pick up a superb point against champions Celtic - which could comfortably have been all three.
The Buddies were as brave as Stephen Robinson promised they would be at Parkhead, playing on the front foot and racing into the lead when Main pounced on a defensive mix-up before slotting past Joe Hart.
Kyogo levelled things up with a powerful strike but the Saints battled straight back, Main nodding home at the back post to give the visitors an unlikely half-time lead.
The Paisley team weren't content to sit in and defend their advantage in the second half, with Ryan Strain passing up a brilliant opportunity at the back stick before Main cracked the post with a fierce low drive.
The striker also passed up two excellent headed chances, which came back to cost the visitors when Celtic skipper Callum McGregor curled in from the edge of the box to rescue Celtic a point.
Despite some late pressure, the Buddies deservedly held on to pick up the point their spirited performance deserved.
Thierry Small was preferred to Scott Tanser at left wing back, while Greg Kiltie was in to support Main with fellow striker Alex Greive out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
St Mirren's eventful afternoon started just five minutes after kick-off. A long ball launched over the top by keeper Trevor Carson caused havoc in Celtic's makeshift defence, with Anthony Ralston's attempted clearance only serving to send Main racing in on goal.
The striker cut back inside the Hoops full back before calmly sliding underneath Joe Hart to break the deadlock and silence the home support.
Saints started the game extremely brightly, with teenager Thierry Small in particular impressing on the flank - dealing well with the ever present threat of winger Jota.
Ryan Strain had an opportunity to twist the knife further when he burst down the right wing, but his early ball was easily dealt with by the retreating Celtic defence.
One minute later the Hoops were level. Free-scoring striker Kyogo raced into the box to collect an incisive Reo Hatate pass before blasting past Carson to restore parity.
Main fired over the bar after being set up well by Kiltie as St Mirren aimed to quickly restore their lead as the game continued to swing from end to end.
Carson produced a smart save low to his left from Matt O'Riley's snapshot from the edge of the box as the Hoops began to dominate proceedings.
Hatate was next to try his luck from distance, his dipping effort swerving just over the bar with Carson scrambling.
St Mirren were confidently patient with the ball, holding their own against the hosts and probing for an opening.
Small's corner almost found Richard Taylor in the box at the back post, with the chance just going begging.
As the breathless half continued, an O'Riley shot flicked off Keanu Baccus and was destined for the bottom corner with Carson responding brilliantly to tip past the post.
Alex Gogic was impressive again in the middle of the park. His build-up play helped set up Kiltie who blasted a shot that Hart did well to save. Strain should have found the net from his close-range follow up but he prodded just wide as the flag stayed down.
Five minutes before half-time St Mirren were back in front.
Skipper Joe Shaughnessy's long throw was only cleared as far as himself, with the defender sending the ball back into the danger zone.
The Hoops thought they'd cleared the danger but Mark O'Hara nodded the ball back across goal, with Main then powering a header underneath Hart to net and send the away fans wild once again.
The bustling striker hooked one off the line for his Buddies just a few minutes after, proving his worth at both ends of the pitch as the Paisley side went into the break deservedly ahead.
The Saints started the second half on the front foot. The impressive Strain produced a brilliant ball to the back post with Main's header just inches wide as he chased his hat-trick - which would have been a first by an away player at Celtic Park since 1983.
Strain whipped another teasing cross into the box but there were no takers in a black shirt, with the home support starting to get more restless by the minute.
Daizen Maeda fired over the bar from just six yards out after collecting a clever Jota chip in what was a real heart in the mouth moment for Robinson's men as Celtic threatened to level.
Main was a constant menace for the Hoops defence. He headed just over again at the back post from another pinpoint Strain cross, with St Mirren not content to just sit in and defend their lead.
Maeda spurned an excellent chance at the back post when he really should have equalised.
With 15 minutes left St Mirren were within an inch of netting a third that could have been pivotal. With Celtic retreating, Main burst down the left and decided against playing in Kiltie, instead unleashing a powerful low drive that smacked off the post.
Celtic were struggling to open up the Buddies but their skipper McGregor took the game by the scruff of the neck himself. The Scotland international picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box before curling a sweet strike into the bottom corner to equalise.
The Saints were determined to hold on to at least a point after putting so much into the game. And they held firm through five minutes of added time to clinch a potentially pivotal point.
READ MORE:
Renfrewshire Live
