It wasn’t pretty from Celtic in the Highlands, but Nicolas Kuhn was the late hero as they battled from a goal down to clinch a 2-1 win over Ross County.
It was a quiet start with Daizen Maeda causing most of the early problems, albeit those were few and far between for a sturdy County team who kept things quiet. He was denied by Ross Laidlaw early on before heading an Alistair Johnston cross over the bar, a chance he should have done better with.
Ronan Hale was lively at the other end and he took responsibility from the penalty spot after Liam Scales was penalised for handball. His initial spot-kick was saved by Kasper Schmeichel, but he was adjudged by Kevin Clancy to have left his line prematurely, and the striker didn’t make the same mistake twice.
Hale nearly made it 2-0 shortly after half-time when he saw Schmeichel off his line but his chipped effort from range landed on the roof of the net, to a sigh of relief from the Hoops shotstopper. It had begun to seem like Celtic were sleepwalking to a rare domestic defeat but before all hope was lost, Alistair Johnston came to the rescue. Callum McGregor drove one towards goal and, whether it was a miscued shot or an intentional pass, it was redirected into the net by the right-back from close range.
Kuhn has been Celtic’s man for the big occasions this season and it was the German who bailed them out late on. He bent one into the far corner to send the away end wild and keep the 100 per cent record rolling after a game where it could so easily have slipped.
Here are our 3 talking points…
Missing pieces
Rodgers will be crossing his fingers and toes that Cameron Carter-Vickers is back after the international break because, on this evidence, Celtic are missing him dearly. The air of awkwardness that comes with two left-sided centre-backs aside, the Hoops’ backline was more than a little disjointed, a problem compounded further by the absence of Greg Taylor.
Auston Trusty and Alex Valle were brought in to strengthen the depth and push the starting XI but neither really looked at home here. Trusty needs to find his voice while Valle, asked to play a curious inverted wing-back role more than Taylor normally is, looked shaky down the left. Both are new kids on the block and will take time to settle but it may be a worry for Celtic how much things appeared to drop off at the back with two of their usual starters out.
Adam Idah also started for Kyogo and it should be noted Celtic looked much brighter and sharper when the strikers were swapped on the hour mark, and it was his run across the keeper that made space for Alistair Johnston’s equaliser. Rotation, enforced or otherwise, wasn’t good for Celtic in the Highlands – but when you’ve got Kyogo and co to call upon from the bench, your subs can get you out of jail.
Student vs master
Rodgers said before kick-off that Don Cowie was the very first player he signed as a manager. And it seems the County boss has already cracked an art form his former mentor hasn’t quite got to grips with – working within your limitations. The Hoops were hammered by Borussia Dortmund during the week, and while much has rightly been made about the chasm in finances when Celtic are up against the European elite, it’s the same challenge County faced going up against the Premiership champions.
But while Celtic shipped seven in Germany, County kept things tight and, with 15 minutes remaining, they more than merited their leading position. As happens when you’re up against Celtic, pressure told in the end, but on this evidence, County have more than enough quality to keep themselves clear of danger this season.
Delight in Dingwall (eventually)
This was a hell of a performance from Ross County, and a masterclass in how to set up against the champions. Kacper Lopata in particular was a colossus in the back line while the buzzing Victor Loturi gave them what they needed off the bench to keep things ticking over.
But Celtic simply won’t be denied domestically. They know all about a late win in Dingwall and the scenes after Nicolas Kuhn’s late winner were similar to December 2021 when Anthony Ralston won it at the death.
It wasn’t box office from Celtic, for a change, but in the end it was relief and jubilation. As for County, it was heartbreak and a punch to the gut – but that’s just your luck when Celtic come to town.