The champions made a winning start to their road to The Five with a two goal win over Ross County. First half goals, an early penalty from Leigh Griffiths and a Stefan Johansen effort secured the points before Ross County settled into the game.
Virgil van Dijk pinged a ball into the box allowing Leigh Griffiths to turn County defender Davies, who mistimed his challenge and took the legs from Griffiths inside the box. This time the Celtic striker was able to take the kick undisputed before hitting his penalty low and hard. Keeper Scott Fox got his body to the ball but couldn’t keep it out.
James Forrest was recalled from the start and made a powerful run on 17 minutes but his shot was saved. A quick break by County tempted Craig Gordon off his line, in an echo of a similar situation against Qarabag on Wednesday, but County’s Jackson Irvine controlled well and knocked the ball beyond Gordon, who committed to the challenge but only succeeded in felling Irvine.
Scott Brown and Virgil van Dijk managed to get back inside the box, and Irvine was heading wide, so referee Willie Collum only cautioned the Celtic goalkeeper. Gordon redeemed himself a moment later by saving the resultant fee kick.
A fine passing move by Celtic created space inside the box for Gary Mackay-Steven but his shot was weak and Fox saved. van Dijk then made space but could not find the target. The big Dutch defender later dribbled 30 yards but was dispossessed 10 yards out.
Stefan Johansen made it 2-0 on 35 minutes. Ross County were under incessant Celtic pressure and failed to pick up Mackay-Steven inside the box. The Celtic winger feigned to shoot before rolling the ball into the path of Johansen who made no mistake.
Ross County had a better second half but not until Stuart Armstrong rounded Fox and saw his effort cleared off the line. Gordon was forced into a stunning save on 65 minutes when Quinn’s effort from 13 yards. The Celtic keeper flew himself to his left.
Kris Commons then saw his rocket shot from 25 yards touched over. A moment later Armstrong’s audacious chip almost caught the keeper off his line but Fox stretched to deflect. Armstrong continued his search for a goal but his shot from outside the box was deflected wide.
Craig Gordon ended the game by making another fine diving save in added time.
156 Comments- Pages:
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jamesgang
Yer getting younger and Better lookin everytime I see you :)))))
BigsookCSC
till later all
Good Afternoon Timland.
I always cancelled sky sports in the summer,I will not be getting it
back on this year, I’m with Virgin so I get BT sports, that will do me,
no more of me subsidising English fitba………hope the diets get humped.
hotshot
No just the top tier
all around the ground the PA is poor ,in 107 yesterday half way up and many were commenting on the poor sound,
hotshot
Totally agree. I’m in section 101 Lower North Stand and also couldn’t hear a thing.
Very poor.
How come the music comes through loud and clear?
The second half performance yesterday, when we effectively let Ross County into the game, is just the kind of frailty and naivety that could lose us the tie in Baku.
I am not going to analyse what went wrong, suffice to say that if we can’t perform for ninety-minutes on an occasion like yesterday, then we are missing some ingredient.
A defeat on Wednesday doesn’t kill our season, however we will be badly wounded – the measurable reaction will be seen in attendance figures over the season.
I am sure that if we do go out, there will be a flurry of transfer activity, both in and out, in order to ‘take our minds off it’.
Just to be clear – what is the Europa League status if we are eliminated form the CL – is there a qualifying round to be negotiated, prior to the group stages?
I am not being negative, just realistic – let’s hope we get through on Wednesday, HH.
Letting the bank rule the heart today and going for Hearts and Dundee Utd.
If we qualify on Wednesday then, at worst, we end up in the Europa League group stages – if we fail in the Ch League qualifying round.
If we don’t qualify on Wednesday we go into the final qualifying round for the Europa League.
I think ;-)
Jambo’s 1-0 already.
A lot on here are with virgin…is there a link? ;)
The cousins 1 up…boo
@scubamcgax: Wallet found in Jock Stein upper today.Alfred Joseph Cummings. Pls RT @celticfc @celticrumours @CelticFCSLO @CelticResearch @CelticFCTickets
HH jamesgang
Watched the Gordon incident a few times on sky,and I don,t think Craig touched the player,the guy went down like their was a sniper in the stands,and as for their daft manager wanting a red card ,he should look at our penalty When Griffiths was about to shoot from about four yds,that was definite goal scoring opportunity,but not even a yellow.even that sod Walker said the Gordon incident was not a red.
Very annoying setup here.
WITS- me too. I am critical on here about our downsizing but promote tCeltic to my foreign mates.
BT Sports Europe 9:30-10:00pm tonight…………..
Re-visit of UCL Classics 2001/02 Celtic v Juventus.
Thomson T,
The transfer activity should be heightened prior to the qualifiers and not afterwards. Defeat would be an absoulute disaster. Think we will score.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MSR5CXnKeCM&feature=youtu.be
Wee Jay being wee Jay!
HH jamesgang
ROCK TREE BHOY on 2ND AUGUST 2015 10:42 AM
I never used to have a “whipping bhoy” always driven to support whoever was playing, but I think Ronnie has a blind spot when it comes to James Forrest. Imo when he plays we are effectively a man short, utterly hopeless, the sooner hes found out the beter. Just look at his ‘contribution’ yesterday. Zero. It hurts me to criticize one of our own but in the key games, the ones that really matter, a 10 man team gives us an uphill struggle to get a result.
———-
I agree mate…wee James going backwards IMO.hh
What is more expensive.. Bt sports or sky sports ?
Also
I’m in oz and have Foxtel.. Same as sky so I’m sure sky still make enough money from the likes of Australia and America etc to keep sky going
Or is that wrong ?
I did not enjoy Wed. or yesterday apart from Flag raising.
i am concerned that RD is overstating our levels of readiness when the likes of McGregor, Scepovic,and Forrest are getting bench or game time with no return.
Its a sad reflection of our decision making that non of the ex celts on show yesterday were any worse than the trio I mentioned,the notable difference being work rate.
We cannot afford to put players on the park for Euro games who contribute as little as Forrest or Scepovic,this is a Multi Million pound game and sentiment or what if decisions should be avoided.j
I concur
PA system at Celtic park, sure it worked ok last year, no idea what has been done
But
Couldn’t not make out a word of any announcements, speeches yesterday,
Maybe something to do with sitting next to Big Leftclicktic :-)
Oh
And we both thought Jamesy Forrest was very poor
Europe on Wednesday may have been on his mind ?
Hail Hail
Sad news. Cilla Black has died. RIP.
Just a wee bit of Sunday lunchtime carping from quonno.
A lot of posts on CQN indicate an awful lot of subscribing to cable tv companies such as Sky and BT.
A couple of days ago there was someone expressing outrage about the obscenity of an EPL player receiving 140K per week.
IMO second of above could not have occurred without the first.
WHAT IS THE STARS on 2ND AUGUST 2015 10:50 AM
Cork celt
Bit harsh
People are entitled to point out our obvious flaws and limitations
We have some very average players, capable of winning the Scottish league of course, but I fear for us in Europe.
People who point out that the emperor has no clothes deserve better than the wrath of the mob/ clique/ true believers/ keepers of the holy flame etc
———
I don’t mind people having concerns about the playing staff. But if you look at the live updates yesterday there were a couple of posters who never said anything positive throughout the game. No mention of either goals, no mention of Tierney having a good game etc. Most posters who criticise the team will have something positive to say especially when we win.
THOMPSONTWIN
We were 2-0 up and wisely played the game out.
.
Big game ahead and more important things than scoring 3 or 4.
.
Well firstly it was a win and 3 points but not with any style it was more of a plodding victory and when we look back at recent Celtic games that is the way we are playing at the moment.I see little of the pressing game and the flair and style Ronny talks about we seem to have several players in each game who disappear for me yesterday Forrest and Scepovic were the worst sinners.We need to re-capture some of the Celtic spirit and Wednesday would be a good game to sort it out. H.H.
Why does it show 136 comments even though we are now on Page 4?
I liked Cilla or to give her her Sunday name Priscilla Maria Veronica White. She wasn’t that great a singer, just a loud voice although “Anyone Who Had a Heart” and “Your My World” remain classics to this day. Dusty was light years better as was her Liverpool rival Beryl Marsden who never made it.
But she came along at the right time on the coat tails of the Mersey sound.
However, somehow she lost her way, how can a wee lassie fae “Scotty” Road become such an ardent tory.
RIP Cill.
Hello again all you young rebels.
Fantastic night with the Jock Stein CSC in St Kilda Oz. our club members
traveled through to support a fund raiser for one of our own a young Lhass
who is seriously ill, a tremendous amount of money was raised to help her
family through a difficult time, one Celt paid nearly $ 4000 for a car number
plate CE1TIC amazing but it’s what we have come to expect from the Celtic
family, respect to another load of Celts who came all the way from Geelong
to help out.
After watching the game and the raffles and auctions were finished our very
own PADDYMACOZ led everyone in a rendition of c’mon you bhoys in green
Glasgows green and white
and it was hilarious coming from both ends of the pub.
Also a wee mention for the four young Celts all sitting together with the
Ronnie roar t shirts, that was their first night in Oz having arrived from the U.K
that day, i know you will be looking in here after me telling you all about this blog
so start posting, thats if you’ve managed to get away from all those Melbourne
babes eyeing you up.
Oh to be young again ( sigh )
H.H Mick.
Tontine Tim on 2nd August 2015 1:37 pm
However, somehow she lost her way, how can a wee lassie fae “Scotty” Road become such an ardent tory.
I imagine she was not alone in getting lost like this.
It’s all about how individual beggars cope with suddenly finding themselves on horseback.
Been a strange, emotional few days.
Strange in the fact I have missed our first 2 games in Paradise. Emotional, as the reason I missed yesterday’s game was my Dad got taken to hospital on Friday with Pneumonia.
Talking to him about Celtic really perks him up, which is handy as Celtic are my specialised subject.
Things like this get me reminiscing and it’s amazing that through illness, bereavement, general worries and stresses, the one constant is this crazy fitba club we all love.
God bless the Celtic!
HH
Entertaining game at Tynecastle so far, if we play well we will spank both of them. However they will close up against us and it will be a lot more attritional.
GAA fans, will the Kerry or Dub game be the one to watch, the panel here seem to think Kerry will romp this.
rip cilla black.
watched a good three part series a few months ago called cilla.really enjoyed her.
Burghbhoy
Hope your father has a speedy recovery
Hail Hail
Good Afternoon.
That Neil Doncaster’s got a bit of a brass neck, hasn’t he?!
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/08/02/brass-neck-alert/
Melbourne Mick and your fellow Aussie Bhoys and Ghirls
Awesome, you all do our Celtic Ethos proud
Hail Hail to you all
BT
I passed on that wee gift from ACGR to Faither
Hope he passed it on to you :-)
He was taking a good look at it when I left
Hail Hail
They are having great fun at Swinecastle. Currently 4=3 to Hertz
Cowiebhoy
He phoned me after the match to tell me has was going to drink it, hope not as Acgr said it needs a wee bit of water and he isn’t a whisky drinker
Thanks , and we appreciated you and lefties encouragement as we made our way for half time refreshments :-)