Late goals from strikers Craig Beattie and Maciej Zurawski against St Mirren sent holders Celtic through to the CIS Insurance Cup quarter-finals as they beat the visitors 2-0.
It was an uninspiring night of football with a makeshift Celtic team playing in front of a half-empty stadium and struggling to find any cohesion against the tidy but unimaginative Saints.
St Mirren goalkeeper Tony Bullock and the crossbar had denied Beattie earlier in the game but he eventually got his first goal since October last year when he hammered a Stephen Pearson pass past the former Dundee United keeper in the 76th minute.
Then, with three minutes to go, Zurawski was handily placed to slam home number two and make the tie safe.
Only Artur Boruc, Paul Telfer and Stephen McManus remained in the Celtic side from Saturday's 1-0 win over Dunfermline in the Bank of Scotland Premier League as Gordon Strachan rested the core of his team ahead of the Old Firm derby at the weekend.
Bullock was in impressive form and denied Beattie on three occasions to keep the first-half goalless.
Beattie's first effort came early when he drove a Pearson pass straight into the arms of Bullock following some good build-up play by the home side.
Then, in the 18th minute, Beattie was foiled by the Love Street keeper from only six yards out, with Bullock touching his header from a Telfer cross over the bar.
It was not all one-way traffic however, and moments later, St Mirren left-back Ian Maxwell headed a Richard Brittain free-kick from wide on the left against the bar, with a static Celtic defence recovering quickly to clear their lines.
In the 34th minute, Bullock denied Beattie again, punching the Celtic striker's curled effort from 16 yards past the post.
Five minutes after the interval, Derek Riordan's curling drive from 25 yards had Bullock tipping over for a corner, following which substitute Aiden McGeady, on at the break for Jiri Jarosik drove just past from even further out.
There was little between the sides, but in the 65th minute, Saints substitute Mark Corcoran skilfully dribbled into the Celtic penalty area but his tame shot from 16 yards was easily saved by Boruc.
Moments later, Beattie worked himself some space on the right hand side of the St Mirren penalty area but crashed his shot off the bar.
Then Zurawski had the ball in the visitors' net but was ruled offside.
However, in the 76th minute, Beattie eventually got the breakthrough his efforts deserved for his first goal in 11 months.
Pearson played the striker in at the edge of the area and he buried a left-footed shot past Bullock who had no chance.
Play was stretched in the final stages and, with three minutes to go, Zurawski turned in McGeady's wayward volley from close range.
