Scottish Daily Mail

HAPPY BHOYS

Christie rising to serious task of being the main man

- By JOHN McGARRY

RYAN CHRISTIE last night insisted he’s relishing the responsibi­lity of scoring and creating goals after shooting down Ross County with a double in a 4-1 victory at Dingwall. With striker Odsonne Edouard currently injured and a doubt for Sunday’s Betfred Cup final with Rangers, midfielder Christie stepped up to convert a firsthalf penalty — via a rebound — before putting Celtic back in front following Ross Stewart’s equaliser. Further goals from Tom Rogic and Mikey Johnston put Neil Lennon’s men on easy street, but Scotland star Christie’s contributi­on couldn’t be overlooked as he became his team’s top scorer so far this season with 15 goals, one more than Edouard. ‘My goals are probably down to a few things but I have been working hard to add that to my game,’ said the 24-year-old. ‘The manager made it clear when he pushed me to a more attacking position — off the striker or on the right — that I need to chip in. I like having that pressure and responsibi­lity to score and create goals. ‘I have my own targets and I want a few more before Christmas, but it’s going well. ‘We play a lot of games and the boys around really help when it comes to getting chances. ‘Look at the brilliant pass Kristoffer Ajer played for my second goal against County. ‘When you are playing in a team where boys create three or four of them for you every game, I will get more chances than most midfielder­s in Scotland.’ A brace to set up a tenth straight win would have been sweet in any event. Given

Christie’s history down the road at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, though, his smile after yesterday’s triumph was just that little bit wider. ‘I was gutted to miss the last County game through suspension, as it’s always nice to play against them,’ he added. ‘I was probably the most excited of all the players as I was coming home. It was a chance for all the family to come and watch me, so it was good. ‘To top it all off with a win and a couple of goals against my old rivals was nice.’ The history books will not record his one moment of angst. Reflecting on the minute Nathan Baxter saved his penalty before he bundled home the rebound, Christie said: ‘I did panic a little bit. Luckily, it dropped to me again and I was able to score — but I got hammered off the boys. It was my own fault. I changed my mind at the last minute so I’ve learned that lesson.’ It proved to be inconseque­ntial in the end. By the time Rogic and Johnston had put gloss on the scoreline, Celtic had deservedly eased towards another comprehens­ive triumph. Whether the opponent is in the colours of Rennes or Ross County, these days it seems Lennon’s players yield not a single inch. ‘It’s ten wins but I don’t think most of the boys would even know that stat,’ Christie continued. ‘For us, it’s about constantly looking forward to the next game. ‘We have the mentality to win every game and it’s got us into a good place. ‘It was a good win. The three points is the most important thing but to score four goals is a nice touch. ‘After conceding the goal, we reacted well as it would have been frustratin­g to give them something to hang on to. ‘We then went up a few more gears in the second half and put it to bed.’ If the prospect of facing Rangers at Hampden has been mentioned in the Celtic dressing room, they hid it well. Adamant that the Premiershi­p clash with Hamilton Accies on Wednesday was all that currently matters, Christie added: ‘All eyes will be on Sunday but the league is the priority for us at the moment. ‘We showed that today with the performanc­e at Ross County and hopefully it will be the same on Wednesday night. ‘We want to win and win well as that would set us up for Sunday.’ Yesterday was the first of nine games Lennon’s men face in a hectic December. Acutely aware of the dangers in taking their eyes off the ball, Christie said: ‘It is hard. It gets talked about a lot but, after a huge game last Thursday (against Rennes), we needed another big performanc­e today. ‘We were straight back into training and then it was a long journey up the road. It’s tough but you need to have the right mindset. ‘The gaffer says as soon as we let that slip, even for a second, that’s when you get punished and it’s hard to get your consistenc­y levels back up. We’re happy with a good win but we move on to Wednesday night.’ Before that, though, some welcome, if brief, respite. Having returned home to the Highlands and put in such a sparkling performanc­e, it would have been rude to dash back. ‘I managed to stay up for the night as it was my mum’s birthday,’ Christie smiled. ‘It’s a nice change to be able to get home as my mum and dad make the trip down a few times a month. It was nice to get all of my family to the game for once as well.’

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