2016-04-24: Celtic 1-1 Ross County, SP

Match Pictures | Matches: 2015 – 2016 | 2015-16 Pictures

Trivia

  • Game being played on a Sunday at 3pm, moved from Saturday annoyingly. Not on TV either.
  • Ronny Deila announces that he will part company with Celtic at the end of the season. He will leave the club when his one-year rolling contract runs out at the end of the season. It hasn’t worked out but we wish him the best as do the support.
  • Certain supporters have marked that on the 67min mark for a protest walk-out due to the current state of the club & its management. Things are getting a little dark.
  • Davie Moyes seems to signal a come & get me plea for the manager’s role, but word is that he will instead return to Everton (for the money, cost, the ‘challenge’ etc etc).
  • Roy Keane (Ireland assistant manager) & Michael O’Neill (N Ireland manager), Neill Lennon are other names in the hat.
  • Steve Clark and Malky Mackay have emerged as contenders for the hotseat at Celtic.
  • Steve Clarke on Celtic managers job "Celtic's a massive & great club and if they want to give me a call it would be nice".
  • Manchester City have joined the list of Premier League clubs tracking Celtic’s Kieran Tierney after scouting the youngster in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final.
  • Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell doesn’t deserve the flak of the fans for the team’s stalled progress, departing manager Ronny Deila has argued.

Review[Untitled]

(quiet A of KDS)
One thing worse than under-performers are under-performers who think they are doing great and have a real chip on their shoulder. In that sense, Ronny Deila has really moulded a team in his own image.

Given that the dressing room is led by a guy who thought he was doing fine up until 6 months ago, when he had blown three Champions League qualifiers and was en route to a Europa League embarrassment, a guy who thinks a 65% win ratio is the envy of world football and a guy who has blamed everything up to the celestial movements for his own failings, it shouldn't be surprising to see players petulantly act out against the fans after dragging them through the ringer. After what the server up last week, to have players act like they did today and a manager call out the 'atmosphere' is an absolute joke.

Bunch of charlatans from top to bottom.

(Corky B of KDS)
After last week promising not to darken CP's door until Lawwell left, I had to "embarrassingly" break my vow almost immediately as I had an in-law over from abroad and I had always promised to take him to a game. He seemed to enjoy himself which is more than I did, as this week's performance was as bad as a week ago.

The banner before the start was appropriate and well intentioned, but it would help if those making them went on a spelling course.

As for the game – well howzabout insipid, lacklustre, no energy, disorganised, ragged, total lack of any formation, an embarrassment to the jersey etc. Frankly Ronnie has to be sacked now. Unbelievable amount of time Murdoch had to pick his spot for the equaliser and that is after they had missed better chances.

Gordon 6 – Did what he was paid to do
Lustig 6 – OK did what he was paid to do and got no support from Roberts
Svaitchenko – OK see above
Mulgrew – 5 – weak
Tierney – 5 – not one of his better games – can be forgiven due to the rest of his season
Roberts – 4 – one trick pony. Failed miserably to use his outside even when their players in yards of space. Rotten defensively
Brown 3 – Needs drooped – not for the first time, a disgrace
Button 5 – Slightly better than Brown – damning with faint praise
Rogic 5 – didn't seem up for it
CKR 4 – next time Dudu needs a favour can I suggest we tell him where to go ?
Griffiths 6 – did what he was paid to do
subs
McGregor 5 – No better or worse than Rogic
Commons 5 – at least turned his defender a few times
Ambrose – no time for a mark

Could sees us not winning a game between now and the end of the season. Just as well Aberdeen seem so poor in all.

Teams

Celtic

  • 01 Gordon
  • 23 Lustig Booked at 87mins
  • 28 Sviatchenko
  • 21 MulgrewSubstituted for Ambrose at 90'minutes
  • 63 Tierney
  • 06 Bitton
  • 08 Brown
  • 27 Roberts
  • 18 RogicSubstituted for McGregor at 65'minutes
  • 13 Kazim-RichardsSubstituted for Commons at 81'minutes
  • 09 Griffiths

Substitutes

  • 04 Ambrose
  • 14 Armstrong
  • 15 Commons
  • 16 Mackay-Steven
  • 17 Christie
  • 26 Bailly
  • 42 McGregor

Goals

  • Griffiths (23' minutes)

Ross County

  • 01 Fox
  • 02 Fraser
  • 06 Robertson
  • 43 Quinn
  • 17 FranksSubstituted for De Vita at 79'minutes Booked at 86mins
  • 07 Gardyne
  • 08 McShane
  • 36 Irvine
  • 18 Murdoch Booked at 68mins
  • 23 SchalkSubstituted for Graham at 90+2'minutes
  • 10 BoyceSubstituted for Goodwillie at 60'minutes

Substitutes

  • 5 Boyd
  • 9 Graham
  • 19 Dingwall
  • 21 Woods
  • 24 De Vita
  • 25 Goodwillie
  • 44 McLaughlin

Goals

  • Murdoch (64' minutes)

Referee: Don Robertson
Attendance: 41,396

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Forum

MOTM

Stats

Celtic Ross County
Possession
Home53%
Away47%
Shots
Home18
Away7
Shots on Target
Home7
Away3
Corners
Home5
Away3
Fouls
Home11
Away10

Articles

Celtic 1 – 1 Ross County: Deila goodbye tour starts with a whimper
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/competitions/premiership/celtic-1-1-ross-county-deila-goodbye-tour-starts-with-a-whimper-1-4109193

STEPHEN HALLIDAY

THE sense that Ronny Deila’s departure as manager will merely begin scratching the surface of Celtic’s current problems gathered fresh evidence with another dismal display from the Scottish champions.

Deila’s long goodbye remains almost certain to end with the capture of another Premiership crown but seldom can any team have made their way towards the finishing line of a title race in such underwhelming fashion.

A week on from the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers, the response from Celtic was weak to the point of timidity as they were held at home by Ross County.

Leigh Griffiths’ 38th goal of the season was countered by a stunning strike from Stewart Murdoch which earned Jim McIntyre’s League Cup winners a fully merited draw.

Now nine points clear of Aberdeen at the top of the table with just four games remaining, it is surely still a case of when and not if they wrap up a fifth consecutive title. But that is unlikely to diminish the discontent and concern being expressed by their support over the club’s direction on and off the pitch.

If the midweek announcement of Deila’s pending departure had taken the sting out of any potential display of ill feeling from the Celtic fans towards the Norwegian, it certainly did not spare the club’s board from their ire.

Shortly before kick-off, banners unfurled at either end of the ground made especially uncomfortable reading for chief executive Peter Lawwell.

Even a mis-spelling of his name could not lessen the clear message of discontent which also took aim at Celtic’s major shareholder Dermot Desmond.

‘Lawell and Desmond’s Legacy – Empty Jerseys, Empty Hearts, Empty Dreams, Empty Stands’ proclaimed a display in the Lisbon Lions Stand, while in the Jock Stein Stand there was a damning assessment which referenced a famous quote from the club’s greatest ever manager, stating ‘From Boardroom to Dressing Room, You’ve Embarrassed Yourselves, The Celtic Jersey Has Shrunk to Fit Inferior Players’.

That rancour was not translated into a vocal form of protest. Instead, there was a curiously subdued atmosphere in the ground with the Green Brigade section maintaining a conspicuous silence.

Against this unusual backdrop for a team so close to clinching a league title, Celtic often appeared laboured and uncertain in a performance which scaled few heights.

Griffiths, one man who can be absolved of any responsibility for the failings of Deila’s team this season, tried to lift the mood in the opening exchanges with a left foot shot from 20 yards which dipped just over.

It was no surprise that Griffiths broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, although it did raise a few eyebrows that he did so with his less favoured right foot.

Collecting a pass from Colin Kazim-Richards just outside the penalty area, Griffiths could not have struck the ball any better with his deadlier left peg as he directed a rising shot beyond Scott Fox’s left hand into the top corner.

There then appeared to be an element of angry frustration in Griffiths’ celebration as he collected the ball from the net and booted it into the section of the ground housing the Green Brigade.

As Celtic tried to build some momentum on the back of the goal, Tom Rogic drove a shot from distance straight at Fox and then passed up a clearer opportunity when he miscued wide from close range after being picked out by a Patrick Roberts cross.

County grew in confidence and ambition towards half-time and should have equalised in the 42nd minute. Liam Boyce found himself unmarked just six yards out as he rose to meet a Jonathan Franks cross but County’s top scorer tamely sent his header straight at Craig Gordon.

The visitors missed another inviting chance at the start of the second half when Michael Gardyne ought to have done better than blaze a left foot shot over from around eight yards.

Although Griffiths and Roberts both forced saves from Fox at the other end, the warning signs were clear that Celtic’s lead was increasingly vulnerable. It was duly cancelled out by Murdoch’s thunderous 64th minute strike which beat Gordon from around 30 yards. The Celtic ‘keeper felt his view had been impeded by a County player standing in an offside position but his protests to the referee and his assistant went unheeded.

It might easily have got even worse for Deila’s team seven minutes later when County substitute David Goodwillie glanced a header narrowly wide after latching onto another good cross from Franks.

Kazim-Richards summed up the lamentably ineffective nature of his performance when he contrived to miss a simple opportunity inside the County penalty area, dragging his shot wide.

The most enthusiastic cheer of the afternoon from the Celtic fans came when Kazim-Richards was replaced in the closing stages by Kris Commons who has been bewilderingly left on the fringes of the Celtic side by Deila in recent months.

His arrival in this game came too late to alter the outcome as County saw out the final minutes with a degree of comfort. Even the jeers from the home fans who remained in the stadium at full-time were of the half-hearted and resigned variety, in tune with the manner of their team’s display.

Teams with substitutions:-

CELTIC (4-2-3-1): Gordon; Lustig, Sviatchenko, Mulgrew (Ambrose 90), Tierney; Brown, Bitton; Roberts, Rogic (McGregor 65), Kazim-Richards (Commons 81); Griffiths. Subs not used: Bailly, Armstrong, Christie, Mackay-Steven.

ROSS COUNTY (3-5-2): Fox, Fraser, Quinn, Robertson; Franks (De Vita 78), McShane, Irvine, Murdoch, Gardyne; Schalk (Graham (90+2), Boyce (Goodwillie 60). Subs not used: Woods, Boyd, Dingwall, McLaughlin.

Referee: D.Robertson.

Attendance: 41,396.

Read more: http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/competitions/premiership/celtic-1-1-ross-county-deila-goodbye-tour-starts-with-a-whimper-1-4109193#ixzz46lgj9OgV
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BBC

By Tom English

BBC Scotland at Celtic Park

1 hour ago From the section Football

Leigh Griffiths celebrates his opener
Leigh Griffiths took his goal tally for the season to 38 in a rare moment of quality for Celtic

Celtic stretched their lead at the top of the Premiership to nine points despite a dreary performance against Ross County at a subdued Parkhead.

Leigh Griffiths' 38th goal of the season put the champions ahead.

But Stewart Murdoch's 64th-minute strike from the edge of the box gave Jim McIntyre's team a deserved point.

Sections of the home support unveiled anti-board banners before kick-off and the mood inside the stadium at the end was one of frustration and anger.

There was a brief flurry of boos on the full-time whistle, despite Celtic moving to within four points – three should be sufficient, given their vastly superior goal difference over Aberdeen – of securing a fifth league title in a row.

But there was no sign of a club on the cusp of a party on Sunday. County were the ones who left with smiles. They were alone in that.
'Desperately lacking in atmosphere and edge'

Griffiths scored midway through the opening half when County backed off him in the penalty area, almost inviting him to have a smack at goal. The striker took them up on their offer and promptly rifled his shot high past Scott Fox in the visitors' goal.

It was a rare moment of quality on a day that was low-key and desperately lacking in atmosphere, edge and decent football.

Patrick Roberts almost teed-up Tom Rogic for a second Celtic goal just before the half-hour, but the Australian blew his moment. Then it was County's turn to waste a chance – and a what a good one it was.

Liam Boyce had a prolific first half of the season but has had a barren second half, with only one goal since the turn of the year.

He had a great opportunity to double the 2016 total just before the break but he headed straight at Craig Gordon when anything to the left or right of the goalkeeper would surely have seen him score.
Stewart Murdoch thunders in the equaliser for Ross County against Celtic
Stewart Murdoch's strike from 25 yards brought County a deserved equaliser

Having spurned one good chance, County then failed to make the most of another shortly after the restart, Michael Gardyne volleying over from close-range.

Celtic had a few moments after that. A Griffiths free-kick, a Griffiths shot, a chance for Roberts. There was never really a sense that they had killed County off, though.

Alex Schalk gave them a fright when he went one-on-one with the exposed Charlie Mulgrew and fired just over. The equaliser came soon enough, Murdoch thumping his shot into the same corner of the net that Griffiths had found earlier in the game.

It was a deserved goal for County, an illustration of their mental strength and yet another indication of Celtic's awful vulnerability.

Further examples came in a flow. Nir Bitton earned hollers of scorn when scooping miles over from decent range, then Colin Kazim-Richards missed a glorious chance. The Turkish international has scored one goal in more than seven hours for Celtic – against East Kilbride.

County went close themselves when Schalk thundered in a shot that flew just past Gordon's post.

It ended in stalemate. A great point for the visitors. Another poor day for Celtic.

Match ends, Celtic 1, Ross County 1.
Full Time
90'+5'
Second Half ends, Celtic 1, Ross County 1.
90'+4'
Attempt blocked. Kris Commons (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
90'+3'
Attempt missed. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) header from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Substitution
90'+2'
Substitution, Ross County. Brian Graham replaces Alex Schalk.
90'+1'
Attempt blocked. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
Substitution
90'
Substitution, Celtic. Efe Ambrose replaces Charlie Mulgrew because of an injury.
Booking
87'
Mikael Lustig (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
87'
Foul by Mikael Lustig (Celtic).
87'
Alex Schalk (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Booking
86'
Raffaele De Vita (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
86'
Nir Bitton (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
86'
Foul by Raffaele De Vita (Ross County).
84'
Attempt saved. Callum McGregor (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
83'
Hand ball by Raffaele De Vita (Ross County).
82'
Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
82'
Foul by David Goodwillie (Ross County).
Substitution
81'
Substitution, Celtic. Kris Commons replaces Colin Kazim-Richards.
80'
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Mikael Lustig.
80'
Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
80'
Jackson Irvine (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
79'
Attempt missed. Alex Schalk (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution
79'
Substitution, Ross County. Raffaele De Vita replaces Jonathan Franks.
78'
Attempt missed. Colin Kazim-Richards (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right.
76'
Attempt missed. Nir Bitton (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
73'
Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
73'
David Goodwillie (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
72'
Colin Kazim-Richards (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
72'
Foul by Jackson Irvine (Ross County).
71'
Attempt missed. David Goodwillie (Ross County) header from the centre of the box misses to the left.
70'
Foul by Nir Bitton (Celtic).
70'
Alex Schalk (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
69'
Attempt blocked. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Booking
68'
Stewart Murdoch (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
68'
Patrick Roberts (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
68'
Foul by Stewart Murdoch (Ross County).
Substitution
65'
Substitution, Celtic. Callum McGregor replaces Tomas Rogic.
Goal!
64'
Goal! Celtic 1, Ross County 1. Stewart Murdoch (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner.
64'
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Charlie Mulgrew.
63'
Attempt saved. Patrick Roberts (Celtic) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
61'
Attempt saved. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Substitution
60'
Substitution, Ross County. David Goodwillie replaces Liam Boyce.
60'
Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
60'
Ian McShane (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
59'
Attempt missed. Alex Schalk (Ross County) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right.
55'
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Scott Fox.
55'
Attempt saved. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
54'
Patrick Roberts (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
54'
Foul by Ian McShane (Ross County).
53'
Attempt missed. Patrick Roberts (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
50'
Attempt missed. Michael Gardyne (Ross County) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is close, but misses to the left.
47'
Foul by Mikael Lustig (Celtic).
47'
Michael Gardyne (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Second Half

Second Half begins Celtic 1, Ross County 0.
Half Time
45'+1'
First Half ends, Celtic 1, Ross County 0.
44'
Attempt missed. Colin Kazim-Richards (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
43'
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Marcus Fraser.
42'
Attempt saved. Liam Boyce (Ross County) header from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal.
41'
Colin Kazim-Richards (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
41'
Foul by Jackson Irvine (Ross County).
40'
Attempt saved. Michael Gardyne (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
39'
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Craig Gordon.
38'
Foul by Nir Bitton (Celtic).
38'
Alex Schalk (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
37'
Attempt blocked. Nir Bitton (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
36'
Kieran Tierney (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
36'
Foul by Marcus Fraser (Ross County).
35'
Foul by Erik Sviatchenko (Celtic).
35'
Jackson Irvine (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
35'
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Scott Fox.
35'
Attempt saved. Nir Bitton (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
28'
Attempt missed. Tomas Rogic (Celtic) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box misses to the left.
27'
Foul by Colin Kazim-Richards (Celtic).
27'
Jonathan Franks (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
26'
Attempt saved. Tomas Rogic (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Goal!
23'
Goal! Celtic 1, Ross County 0. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Colin Kazim-Richards.
21'
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Paul Quinn.
19'
Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
19'
Ian McShane (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
19'
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jonathan Franks.
9'
Foul by Liam Boyce (Ross County).
9'
Nir Bitton (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
6'
Foul by Leigh Griffiths (Celtic).
6'
Chris Robertson (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
4'
Attempt missed. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.
4'
Patrick Roberts (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
4'
Foul by Alex Schalk (Ross County).
Kick Off

First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.