2017-11-18: Ross County 0-1 Celtic, SP

Match Pictures | Matches: 2017 – 2018 | 2017-18 Pictures

Trivia

• Back after Internationals break for the World Cup play-offs.
• Leigh Griffifths scored the winner with an incredible free-kick! Truly world class quality.
• Tierney's 100th Celtic game; Sevco & Aberdeen lost so Celtic extend lead at the top.
• Liam Miller: Distressing news – ex-Celtic midfielder Liam Miller is battling pancreatic cancer, according to his friends in football. We all wished him all the strength in the world.
• Celtic AGM passed with little of note, all seem to be happy but still things to do.
• Brendan Rodgers says he couldn’t imagine himself being happier anywhere else as the Celtic boss dismissed talk of him being ready to ready to the English Premier League.
• Odsonne Edouard has been named in FourFourTwo’s list of the top 100 teenage footballers in the world.
• Paul Paton will face no further action for an alleged elbow on Celtic captain Scott Brown.
• Kieran Tierney captains Scotland for the first time v Netherlands (friendly lost 1-0). Incredible.
• Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s largest individual shareholder, asked an investigative reporter if he was a Rangers supporter after the journalist confronted him before Celtic’s match with Bayern Munich. The question started a letter sent by Desmond after he was asked about reports the businessman’s company had been using an offshore tax haven.
• Celtic are reportedly eyeing up a January move for Ukrainian goal machine Artem Dovbyk.
• Neil Lennon launched a staunch defence of the Scottish game in the face of criticism from failed ex-Celtic striker Tony Cascarino, who played down Brendan Rodgers’ side’s record 63-match domestic unbeaten run. Cascarino said: “To justify this great run they’ve been on – well, who have they actually beaten?
• Beating Ross County and St Johnstone when the team’s miles ahead, it means nothing”. We all just laughed at Cascarino who is a non-entity.
• James McFadden has revealed that he twice came close to signing for Celtic in 2008 and 2011. The
• Scottish international was available for transfer on both occasions but he couldn’t agree personal terms with the Parkhead club
• Dorus de Vries has signed a new one-year deal with Celtic, tying him to the club until summer 2019.
• The family of a football fan who died after falling in a stairwell at an international match at Celtic Park are suing the club. Nathan McSeveney, 20, from Cumnock in Ayrshire, died after Scotland's Euro 2016 qualifier against Ireland in November 2014.
• Moussa Dembele with an 11 minute hat-trick for France u21s tonight, the quickest hat-trick anyone has scored for the French national side (of any age) for over 15 years.
• World Cup play-offs: Ireland out (5-1 loss to Denmark), N Ireland out; Sweden (Lustig) and Australia through (Tom Rogic). Scotland didn’t even make the playoffs.

Review

(subtle anxiety of KDS)
I'm excusing everyone for sub par performances in that pitch. County tried to pull a fast one by not gutting the grass over the intl break. Disgraceful and turned the game into an absolute shocker. Why are their no rules on grass length ? Our national game is a disgrace and we are all bemoaning the youth coaching !. We have no chance when players turn up to play on a pitch like that. Absolute amateur stuff and looked so on t.v. any intl audiences watched must have thought it was a pub game on a unkempt piece of land. Let's get some standards in our game and allow the players to flourish.

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Ross County 0 – 1 Celtic: Griffiths wonder free-kick secures win
Celtic's Leigh Griffiths celebrates his goal. Picture: SNS/Craig Williamson

David Gunn

Substitute Leigh Griffiths’ sizzling second-half free-kick was enough to beat Ross County and extend Celtic’s own British unbeaten domestic record to 64 games.
• READ MORE: Rumour Mill: | Frank de Boer ‘hasn’t ruled out’ Rangers | Everton considered Dembele bid | Rangers ‘embarrassed’ by win record
The Ladbrokes Premiership leaders had found the Staggies difficult to break down at the Global Energy stadium in Dingwall.
After the hour mark Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers turned to the bench for help from the Scotland striker, who came on with Jonny Hayes.
And when Griffiths got his opportunity from a free-kick in 77 minutes, he curled it trademark style past Stages keeper Aaron McCarey to give the Hoops a narrow win and set them up for the Champions League game against Paris Saint Germain in France on Wednesday night.
Left-back Kieran Tierney made his 100th appearance for Celtic in an unchanged side with fit-again Griffiths and defender Jozo Simunovic on the bench.
Owen Coyle’s side were also unchanged and enjoyed a rather stress-free first-45 minutes which provided few talking points.
Celtic keeper Craig Gordon had to race out quickly to thwart Staggies midfielder Michael Gardyne in the opening stages where the visitors practised their passing game, in no apparent hurry to get to the County goal.
There were also signs of slackness in the Hoops play and in the 13th minute, after defender Nir Bitton had conceded possession, wide-man Davis Keillor-Dunn curled a shot over the bar from 20 yards.
The league leaders slowly gained control and in the 23rd minute midfielder Stuart Armstrong played in fellow midfielder Callum McGregor but he appeared to have the ball nicked away from his toe by Christopher Routis as he set himself to shoot, although the Parkhead player appealed for a penalty.
Celtic defender Mikael Lustig found the side-netting from a McGregor corner at the start of the second-half and the Hoops first shot on target came in the 55th minute from Moussa Dembele which McCarey gathered with ease.
• READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers: Moussa Dembele can play way to World Cup
At the other end, Gordon got down to his right-hand post to save a 25-yard free-kick from Routis before Rodgers brought on Griffiths and Hayes on for McGregor and James Forrest.
The Highlanders began to sense there was more than a draw on offer and broke with increasing purpose and confidence.
Celtic, for their part, could not get out of their slumber.
However, when Jim O’Brien was booked for a foul on Armstrong, it gave Griffiths an opportunity to make his mark that he accepted readily, curling his free-kick high past McCarey.
The goal allowed the treble-winners to relax and midfielder Olivier Ntcham, on for Dembele, cracked the post with a drive from the edge of the box, and Scott Sinclair missed the target with a good chance before the end, with a County claim for handball against Dedryck Boyata in the Celtic box ignored.

BBC
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths came off the bench to score his fifth league goal of the season

Celtic extended their record unbeaten domestic run to 64 games after an outstanding Leigh Griffiths free-kick broke Ross County's resolve.

The substitute struck with 12 minutes remaining, sweeping the ball into the top corner from 25 yards out.

Celtic needed a moment of individual poise to secure the victory, since County were dogged and well-organised throughout.

Another substitute, Olivier Ntcham, hit the post as County's intensity flagged.

The Premiership leaders dominated possession, only to see their attacks break down in the final third, in part through County's pressing and sound defending, but also through poor decision making and a lacklustre display by Moussa Dembele.

The visitors ought, though, to have been awarded a penalty in the first half, when Christopher Routis kicked Callum McGregor's foot onto the ball inside the area, but referee Nick Walsh thought the defender had cleared with a clean tackle.

Ross County also claimed for a spot-kick in injury time as the ball brushed Dedryck Boyata's arm from a long throw.
Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor and Ross County defender Christopher Routis
Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor was denied a penalty despite his foot being clipped by Ross County defender Christopher Routis

Individual moments stood out, since the majority of the game was a grind of relentless effort with little sophistication.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers selected his strongest starting line-up, even though there is a Champions League assignment in Paris on Wednesday, but his leading players tended to run aground against County's impressive work-rate.

Dembele, Scott Sinclair and James Forrest were subdued, but it is a measure of the defending champions' strength that the two substitutes made such an impressive impact.

There was slackness in some of Celtic's lengthy spells of possession, and the first opportunity of the game came when Michael Gardyne intercepted a pass in midfield and played in Davis Keillor-Dunne, who swept a shot over the bar.
Celtic attacker Scott Sinclair and Ross County defender Jason Naismith
Celtic attacker Scott Sinclair was kept quiet throughout the game by Ross County defender Jason Naismith

County were the last side to stop Celtic winning an away fixture in the league – holding Rodgers' side to a 2-2 draw last season – and goalkeeper Aaron McCarey showed confident handling to gather high balls under pressure.

Even so, Celtic were aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty when McGregor burrowed his way through a crowd inside the area only to have his foot clipped by Routis.

The first shot on target did not come until the 55th minute, when McCarey comfortably saved Dembele's tame effort. Routis then saw a free-kick from distance saved by Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

As Rodgers pursued the victory, he withdrew the midfielder McGregor for Griffiths, who joined Dembele up front. Celtic were eventually rewarded for their patience and for commitment to a structured game plan.

Sinclair volleyed high and wide from inside the area, while County's best hope came when Ryan Dow missed his header from a long throw and the ball brushed against Boyata's arm, but there was to be no reward for their endeavour.