QUIET MAN IS STILL TOP DOG

Edouard springs from bench to ease Celtic clear with a brace and put Griffiths in shade Celtic 3 McGregor 37 (pen), Edouard 65, 68 Ross County 0

THE past seven days have seen Leigh Griffiths locked in a personal battle with Finn Russell for custody of the back pages.

A magnet for controversy, effortlessly quotable and with back-to-back goals to his name, the Celtic and Scotland striker has made quite the start to 2020.

And yet there remains not a scintilla of doubt about who the real box-office striker is at Parkhead.

Odsonne Edouard doesn’t speak in headlines. He doesn’t need to — not when he possesses the kind of talent that saw him transform a football match he wasn’t even fit enough to start with what was his very first touch.

A toe injury sustained at Rugby Park saw Neil Lennon hand the lone striker role to Griffiths but a stodgy team performance only came to light with Edouard’s arrival in the 63rd minute. By the time the clock struck 70, the Frenchman had scored twice.

After tweaking the formation to pair Edouard and Griffiths together at Partick Thistle and Kilmarnock, there was a more recognisable shape to this team, with James Forrest and Mikey Johnston returning in the wide areas.

As a result of the changes, Celtic were less fluent.

County, on the other hand, were entitled to feel crestfallen after a performance that, in spells, was more than a match for their hosts and was, at the very least, a significant upgrade on the meek showing they turned in as they lost 6-0 at this same venue in October.

To mitigate against another drubbing at the hands of the champions, County reintroduced an old head in midfielder Don Cowie.

A knee injury meant the 36-year-old hadn’t featured since April but his inclusion was not the signal for a rearguard effort.

To their credit, co-managers Steven Ferguson and Stuart Kettlewell had something more expressive up their sleeves. With Cowie deployed in support of striker Lee Erwin and wide players Blair Spittal and Josh Mullin encouraged to counter, County were brave and bold on the ball.

A counter-attack that ended with Fraser Forster clutching a low Mullin shot was a first salvo and the winger maybe should have done better after being sent through by a glorious cross-field diagonal ball from Spittal. His lob sailed harmlessly over, though.

The same combination in reverse saw Spittal miss an even better chance from a cut-back. At the very least, the former Dundee United man should have hit the target as an inert Celtic defence left him to it from 12 yards.

A fine delivery from Griffiths presented

Christopher Jullien with a headed attempt from a corner but, barring a few flickers from Johnston, Celtic were struggling creatively. The winger’s cross gave Forrest the chance to score from a crouching position but goalkeeper Nathan Baxter threw out a hand to save impressively.

Then Johnston, and Celtic, caught a break. Keith Watson was touch tight as the winger accepted a Jozo Simunovic pass, attempted to turn in the box and committed a clumsy foul, prompting referee Kevin Clancy to award a penalty.

‘There was a coming together,’ admitted Ferguson afterwards. ‘I’m going to say it’s soft but, if I’m on the other side, I’m screaming for it.’

With Celtic’s designated taker Ryan Christie serving a suspension, Callum McGregor drilled home the spot-kick.

‘With Ryan and Odsonne not starting, the responsibility was on me, so I just tried to hit the target to make sure I scored,’ said McGregor. ‘It’s the first pen I’ve actually taken in a game for Celtic, so one from one is pretty good!

‘It was a vital point in the game, a bit sticky, so it was important to get it. Then, after half-time, Odsonne comes on and changes things again for us.’

Had Griffiths connected with a low Forrest cross at the back post, the scoreline would have had an unfair sheen at the break.

County couldn’t sustain the same momentum after the interval but Celtic continued to lack a cutting edge, forcing a series of corners without seriously testing Baxter.