Celtic put two past their own keeper in dominant win

Doohan switches sides as champions cruise to victory

CELTIC breezed through their first of two friendlies in 24 hours without much hassle as they dispatched of Ross County at Parkhead yesterday.

An early own goal from Coll Donaldson put the champions on their way to a comfortable victory before Mohamed Elyounoussi completed the scoring from a crisp attacking move to make it 2-0.

There were, of course, no supporters inside the stadium so the Parkhead club had canned fan noise blaring over the speakers throughout the 90 minutes. Another symptom of the current pandemic was a socially distant huddle prematch for the Celtic players. The measure was the club’s own decision after the Scottish government gave the green light to perform the usual routine had they chosen to do so.

And it was a full-strength Celtic XI who started the game, with Hibs in mind for another friendly today. One might expect the same home line-up on August 2 when Hamilton arrive in Glasgow for their first Premiership game of the new season. Scott Brown returned to the fold after missing the recent defeat to PSG in France and James Forrest replaced Olivier Ntcham.

County, meanwhile, had Celtic goalkeeper Ross Doohan playing for them between the sticks, listed as a trialist, but with a view to a loan deal should Neil Lennon be able to land a new goalkeeper before the beginning of the new campaign.

It didn’t take long for Celtic to open the scoring, and it won’t be a goal Donaldson will ever want to think back on in a hurry. Greg Taylor did well to make space for himself down the left flank and his cross into the box was sliced into the net by County’s defender. Doohan threw himself at the ball but couldn’t get near it as it looped over his head.

Celtic’s second was significantly slicker. James Forrest slipped Jeremie Frimpong in behind with a clever one-two down the righthand side and the youngster’s weighted pass found an advancing Elyounoussi. He found the net with a precise first-time effort as County looked dead and buried early on.

Forrest had a drilled strike rattle the crossbar via Doohan’s fingertips as the hosts tightened the screws. And the visitors had the borrowed goalkeeper to thank again as he raced out to meet Frimpong and parry away a shot from the Dutchman.

County had struggled to step out of their own half but Connor Randall tested Scott Bain with a long-range drive. But it was almost a third for Celtic which followed when

Ryan Christie’s delivery from a set-piece found Christopher Jullien who couldn’t quite set his feet properly as he scuffed his effort.

Panic might have set in for Neil Lennon when both Taylor and Kris Ajer pulled up inside their own half. But while Ajer was able to shake off his knock, Taylor was forced off as it had been the third time the Scotland cap would require