Shunsuke Nakamura was labelled a “special man” yesterday after saving Celtic from a fall at Love Street that could have been fatal to their Clydesdale Bank Premier League title ambitions, by coming off the bench and producing a stunning late free kick that delivered a precious victory.

The Japan player’s left boot conjured up the dramatic finish to a taut day for the champions in Paisley to ensure they remain just four points behind Rangers in the title race. However, St Mirren felt they were the victims of a mugging, claiming that Nakamura had dived to earn the 87th-minute free kick after cutting across Gary Mason and duped the referee, Eddie Smith.

It was cruel fortune for Gus MacPherson’s team, who deserved at least a point, if not all three after suffocating Celtic as successfully as they did when drawing at Celtic Park in December. Tommy Burns, the Celtic coach – who conducted the media interviews because Gordon Strachan was feeling unwell – admitted sympathy with the hosts but Celtic were adamant that Nakamura’s heels were clipped by Mason.

After the beautiful game with Barcelona in midweek, this was an ugly contrast. Burns, who was brought up in the east end of Glasgow, and who was the manager of a critically-acclaimed Celtic team 12 years ago that lost to the muscle of Rangers in a title showdown, knows that winning is all that counts.

“It was not the prettiest game to watch,” Burns said. “People pay to watch entertainment and we have served that up in the last month but it is hard to keep producing that every week. It was very difficult to do that here. The pitch was not good and St Mirren were well-organised.

“I never saw the foul clearly but Nakamura cut across him and if you do that as an attacker, you always get the foul. I sometimes feel it is so tough for Nakamura in games like this away from home – it’s physical and can pass him by but he has that special skill at free kicks and that is what makes him so special. We love him at Celtic.

“If I was St Mirren, I would be aggrieved. However, these things have a habit of going against every side. I never gave up hope that we would get the winner. When you have players like Aiden McGeady, Scott Brown or Nakamura in your side, they keep going. At this stage, the points are all that are important. No one will remember how bad it was if we win the league.”

Not down Love Street way. The home fans are likely to recall this occasion with clarity. They were right to feel robbed by the referee, who appeared to make the wrong decision when Nakamura went down with Mason behind him.

However, Smith had been truly dreadful all day, illustrated by his failure to check David Barron’s “Claudio Gentile” approach to man-marking McGeady, He even spoke to the St Mirren full-back for a cynical clip of the winger in the first half, then ignored a wrestling hold from Barron and finally booked McGeady for losing his temper at the end of a run when he was repeatedly fouled.

Strachan made several changes to the side that lost to Barcelona last Wednesday, with Scott Brown coming back after his Champions League suspension – and putting Nakamura on the bench – while Georgios Samaras was given his first start in place of the injured Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and the ineligible Andreas Hinkel was restored in place of teenager Paul Caddis at right-back.

The first period was a contest of grim determination. The hosts’ impressive organisation, symbolised by Ian Maxwell – usually a centre-back – ploughing up and down the left touchline as a wing-back in the 3-5-2 system limited Celtic to few chances. Indeed, Maxwell almost created an opening after 20 minutes when his impressive cutback was laid into the path of Craig Dargo by Billy Mehmet, only for Massimo Donati to deny the striker.

It was St Mirren who had the best opportunity to break the deadlock.

Just eight minutes before half time, Celtic were undone by a counter attack when Lee Naylor lost possession to Dargo on the edge of the St Mirren box while the rest of his team were upfield for a corner.

Dargo went on a searing 70-yard run, with Celtic players in his wake before crossing for David van Zanten whose powerful shot looked certain to score until Artur Boruc conjured up a fine save, and a vital one for the champions.

The only time Celtic had come close to testing Mark Howard was when McGeady crossed for Scott McDonald to glance a header just wide, but it was clear that Strachan had to shake up his team at the interval.

The second half, though, was little better for the champions. They stepped up the tempo but St Mirren were impervious to everything that was thrown at them. Samaras sent one shot narrowly wide in the 56th minute, but that was the best the Greek striker could muster all day as he contributed a dreadful performance before being replaced by Chris Killen.

Indeed, just five minutes later the impressive Mehmet showed Samaras just how it should have been done when he conjured up a venomous shot from 20 yards from Dargo’s layoff that seemed destined for the net until Boruc produced a remarkable stop with his right leg. As MacPherson, the St Mirren manager, observed later, that is why the Poland goalkeeper is valued at £10 million.

Celtic recognised they had survived a genuine scare and gradually stepped up the pressure on Howard’s goal. In truth, the St Mirren goalkeeper never had to get his gloves dirty, apart from getting down to hold McDonald’s 76th-minute shot when the striker cut into the box.

Naylor fired a volley just over the bar and then Killen rose to Naylor’s cross, but could not keep his rising header down. Celtic appeared to have run out of ideas and were heading towards their first goalless draw since the opening day of the season against Kilmarnock, when Nakamura advanced towards the box.

The Japan player cut across Mason and appeared to go down easily. If his heels were clipped, then it was the merest brush. St Mirren exploded with anger, perhaps all too aware of the fate that was about to unfold – Nakamura did not disappoint.

The midfield player stepped up and curled a 27-yard free kick over the wall before it dipped into the far corner of the net on its way past the sprawling Howard. It was his seventh of the season but come May, it may be a priceless one for Celtic.

How they rated

St Mirren (3-5-2): M Howard 7 D van Zanten 8 J Potter 7 W Haining 7 D Barron Y 7 H Murray Y 8 G Mason 7 A Dorman 6 I Maxwell 8 C Dargo 7 B Mehmet 8 Substitutes S Kean (for Dargo, 80min) Not used P Mathers, J Hamilton, F Miranda, R McCay, S McGinn.

Celtic (4-4-2): A Boruc 9 A Hinkel 5 G Caldwell 6 S McManus 7 L Naylor 5 B Robson 5 S Brown 7 M Donati Y 6 A McGeady Y 6 S McDonald 5 G Samaras 4 Substitutes D O’Dea 7 (for McManus, 53min), S Nakamura 7 (for Robson, 65), C Killen (for Samaras, 77) Not used M Brown, E Sno, P Hartley, B Hutchinson.