NICOLAS KUHN has revealed why he snubbed Kyogo Furuhashi before scoring the dramatic late winner in Dingwall at the weekend.
With just two minutes of the regulation 90 to play and the scoreline deadlocked at 1-1, the in-form German winger sped on to a perfect through pass from Alistair Johnston after a swiftly-taken free-kick from Callum McGregor deep in the Hoops half.
Kuhn darted inside the floundering Ryan Leak and had the option of a pass inside to Kyogo who had taken up an excellent position smack in front of goal.
The £3million January recruit from Rapid Vienna ignored his better-placed team-mate to pull the ball to his left foot before arcing an unstoppable effort low past the stranded Ross Laidlaw towards the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
The Japanese striker was one of the first to congratulate Kuhn on claiming his sixth goal of the campaign.
HIGHLAND FLING…Nicolas Kuhn whips a drive past Ross County defender Ryan Leak for Celtic’s late winner in Dingwall. James Forrest gets a good view of the points-clincher.
The touchline ace admitted he was aware of the presence of his prolific colleague, but had decided in a flash to go solo.
Kuhn said: “I saw Kyogo and I thought he had strayed offside and that’s why I didn’t cross it.
“It worked out well in the end. I really enjoyed it and it was amazing to celebrate with the fans.”
There were pathetic appeals from some quarters for the Hoops star to collect a second yellow card and be dismissed for his reactions, but the player answered: “Did I think I would get a red card? Not really.
“The first booking was not deserved. So, I didn’t think about being sent off. I was just happy we got the three points as it was really important to go into the international break with a win.
HAIL, HAIL…Nicolas Kuhn celebrates his winner with Liam Scales about to join in.
”Kuhn, speaking to the
Daily Record, continued: “It felt really good. It wasn’t a great first-half, but we got the three points in the end. It was nothing to do with the game in Dortmund. We were focused solely on this game.
“Our passing wasn’t good and we were slow and the final pass was missing.
“We spoke about it half time and we did much better in the second-half. The manager always tells us to focus on every game and that we just need to keep going.
“Yes, it showed the mentality, 100 per cent. We all did a good job. The first-half was not how we wanted it, but we got the win.”
Kuhn, a former prospect at Bayern Munich in his homeland, suffered more than most in the previous outing five days earlier as Celtic were walloped 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund in an excruciating European experience at the 81,000-capacity Westfalenstadion.
The pacy forward, added: “That was not our real face. We lost to the finalists of the Champions League and if you are not 100 per cent on it they will take their chances.
AIR WE GO…Kyogo Furuhashi in action in Dingwall.
“Yes, for me personally, it was really difficult as I wanted to have a good game there. It was not to be and that’s how it is now.
“I spoke to the manager about it and he told me to keep going and that’s what we did on Sunday.
“For a lot of the guys, it is their first experience of the Champions League. That’s a factor we are going to work on. We played a good team in a big stadium and if you make lots of mistakes then they will punish you.
“At the end of the game, we just lost three points and we conceded too many goals – that much is clear – but we have six games to go.
“We have another German team with RB Leipzig. It is at home this time and we just have to do better.”
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