Celtic 4-1 St Mirren

• Celtic win to go six points clear

• Captain Scott Brown scores twice

• St Mirren lose first game since Tommy Craig's sacking

• Gary Teale in caretaker charge of the Buddies

Celtic secured their eighth consecutive league win and established a six-point lead at the top of the Premiership with a comfortable win against St Mirren.

Scott Brown bagged a double, either side of James Forrest's goal, after Sean Kelly had hauled St Mirren level.

And Anthony Stokes netted after the break with a fine left-foot finish.

Celtic had plenty more chances to add to their lead against caretaker boss Gary Teale's Buddies, who remain a point adrift at the foot of the table.

John Guidetti and substitute Stefan Scepovic were particularly wasteful but Ronny Deila's side now enjoy a six-point cushion over second-placed Inverness.

St Mirren were playing their first match under Teale following the sacking of Tommy Craig, but their poor form continues.

Celtic welcomed captain Brown back into the starting XI but Kris Commons, whose contract situation has been the subject of much talk this week, had to settle for a place on the bench.

Saturday's results ensured the contest pitched top against bottom but the Buddies should have cashed in on a slack pass from Forrest in the opening seconds.

John McGinn broke on the left and delivered to Kenny McLean, but he missed his kick from 18 yards with no Celtic player near him.

Player-coach Teale (far left) took charge of the Buddies for the first time

Teale's troops were made to pay for that miss as Brown fired the hosts into the lead. Stokes picked out his captain from the left and the midfielder smashed low into the net from the edge of the box.

St Mirren thought they had levelled when Forrest again gifted possession to McGinn and he again played in McLean. This time the midfielder converted, but the offside flag was up.

The Paisley side's celebrations were only delayed, though, as Kelly finished from close range after Marc McAusland knocked the ball across goal from a long diagonal.

Celtic were soon in front again and it was Forrest who made amends for some of his earlier errors. Guidetti held the ball up brilliantly in the box and shifted it on to Forrest, who lashed home from a tight angle.

That was the confidence boost Forrest required and he set up the third seconds later, cutting the ball back to Brown after a fine run, and the captain side-footed it beyond Mark Ridgers from a similar range to his first goal.

Nir Bitton almost made it four with a glancing header but Ridgers parried clear, and Stefan Johansen should have done better than drag the ball wide from close range after being played in by Guidetti.

The Swedish striker then passed up a golden chance of his own, firing straight at Ridgers from eight yards.

The second half started as the first finished, with Celtic threatening through Guidetti, but his looping volley went over.

Scepovic almost caught out Ridgers after coming on for Guidetti, smashing a looping half-volley goalwards from 25 yards that the keeper just managed to reach.

Celtic needed no help in creating chances but St Mirren offered it anyway as McAusland was caught in possession just outside his own box and Johansen set up Stokes to drill the fourth into the net.

Scepovic passed up a glaring chance when he poked wide following great work from fellow substitute Callum McGregor to send him one-on-one with Ridgers.

And, after St Mirren's McLean had another swipe at fresh air with the goal at his mercy, Scepovic fired another shot wide after being sent clean through.

The Serbia international then hit a post after a delightful cross from Emilio Izaguirre. The striker was having one of those days and the hosts had to be content with four goals.

Captain Brown opened the scoring on his return to the Celtic side

Kelly's goal briefly brought St Mirren back level

Brown (left) scored his second after Forrest had regained the lead for the hosts

Stokes (right) scored Celtic's fourth of the day after the interval