N LEIGH PLAY
they were looking for. Davis Keillor-Dunn was catching the eye, conf idence coursing through the 20-year-old as he took the ball and tried things, nearly setting up Michael Gardyne then curling a decent effort just over.
Rodgers doesn’t show his displeasure at the side of the park often – but he stepped out to blast Dembele after the Frenchman had let possession slip once too often.
Five goals in five games and a hat- trick for the French Under-21s in the brea k – but the
ba l l was dinging off him like a human pinball machine in the first half.
Eventually Celts established a foothold – thanks in the main to the energy of Callum McGregor – but they found keeper Aaron McCarey in commanding form.
On the one occasion they did break the blue line, the Hoops had a cast- iron case for a penalty ignored by ref Nick Walsh, McGregor denied by Christopher Routis just as he was about to pull the trigger.
It’s a long time since Celtic have gone 45 minutes without a single effort on target.
But they almost broke the deadlock three minutes in, Mikael Lustig making a cute near- post run to meet McGregor’s corner but clipping his effort into the sidenet.
County weren’t lacking conviction though and with Coyle’s incessant soundtrack of screeched encouragement, they dug in hard.
Their lack of pace up top through Craig Curran was a problem when they did look for the out ball but Coyle was quick to see the issue and traded him for the far more mobile Alex Schalk.
And the Dutchman had an impact, winning a free-kick which Gordon saved from Routis and then squirting a volley wide. Rodgers was hoping for the same as he t u r ned to h is bench, Griff iths and Jonny Hayes replacing McGregor and James Forrest.
No great surprise he got it from the Scotland man.
Jim O’Brien may h av e questioned the way Stuart Armst rong won the free kick but no-one could question the way deadly Griffiths finished it.
It was a keeper’s nightmare, sun low in the sky, right in his eyes. The striker knew if he found the target he’d have him, and that’s exactly what he did. Over the wall, didn’t pour on the power, just the accuracy, and McCarey was a goner. The arrival of Leigh Griffiths. All the chat has been about Moussa Dembele but the Scot stole the headlines here. Ross County boss Owen Coyle believes Davis Keillor-Dunn showed why he’s a star in the making against World-Cup bound Mikael Lustig. The 20-year-old winger was a stand-out as the Staggies ran Celtic close. And Coyle said: “Listen, Lustig is a wonderful player, you saw that for Sweden against Italy in midweek. “But he’ll know he was in a game today against a young player. I put Davis straight in the team and he has played every game. He is maturing and will get better.”
Coyle reckons his side were unlucky to be undone by another class act in Hoops star Leigh Griffiths.
He said: “When you have that quality not even starting games that is why Celtic are carrying all before them.”
County had a late penalty shout turned down for handball against Dedryck Boyata but Coyle said: “It was probably the right decision not to give it.”