Three games in seven days test most squads and very few can expect to come out of all that football with nine points. Celtic however have probably played their best football of the season consistently in the past 7 days.
Allegedly Celtic have a fight on their hands and a title challenge from Aberdeen. That might be true with the Celtic team that has been on display since the start of the season, which seemed to offer one step forward and one back in terms of performance. But any Celtic supporter knew it was only a matter of time before Ronny’s team clicked and put a run together.
Celtic made 2 changes from their game against Motherwell midweek with Stokes and Johansen sitting this one out to be replaced by Henderson and Guidetti. Lustig also found himself on the bench after his second half midweek brace.
The first half an hour withered away without any clear cut chances, Kris Commons had 3 half chances but they either went wide or were well saved. Just before half-time Commons got through again and got hacked down just as he was about to pull the trigger. Commons took the resulting free kick which was well saved by Reguero.
It was obvious in the second half Celtic needed to show a little more in front of goal and they came out all guns blazing. It only took 2 minutes before Griffiths should of put the hoops one nil up only for a solid save from Reguero again, the rebound fell to Guidetti put somehow it was saved off the line by the Ross County defence.
If a Celtic player deserved a goal it was Kris Commons and in the 52nd minute Commons scored a bit of a fluke, dipped in good fortune as his shot took a huge deflection of County defender Quinn to lob Reguero.
As with all Celtic opposition in the league this season, A Celtic goal usually forces their hand to drop the blanket defence and come out and play some football. This usually leaves the gaps that Celtic can go and exploit, Motherwell midweek been the perfect example.
Commons should of had a hat-trick today and he should of added a second after 70 minutes when he went past the keeper but managed to take the ball to far wide and send the ball wide. Seconds later he left the pitch to be replaced by Scepovic, Griffiths made way for McGregor.
As a Celtic Supporter there is no worse feeling than been one nil up with 20 minutes left and Liam Boyce brought about heart in mouths with just over ten minutes left when he flashed a shot just wide of Craig Gordon’s post. In the 82nd minute Boyce teed up Boyd for a shot which saw Gordon produce his first real save of the match.
Ambrose came on for Guidetti with 5 minutes left as the Celtic management obviously felt it was time to shut up shop. The shop was anything but shut as County threatened right into stoppage time with Gordon getting called on again to keep the 3 points in the bag.
Celts Are Here Man of the Match: Kris Commons
Gordon, Matthews, Denayer, van Dijk, Izaguirre, Brown, Bitton, Commons, Henderson, Griffiths, Guidetti
subs: Ambrose, Scepovic, Lustig, McGregor, Thomson, Lindsay
