Debut delight for Duffy as new man marks first Celtic outing in style
WHEN Shane Duffy dreamt of scoring his first goal for Celtic as a young Bhoy, chances are that the strike was accompanied by the roar of thousands of Celtic supporters in his head rather than the disgruntled groans of a few hundred Highlanders. But these are strange times.
Not that he was complaining too much, with his debut goal one of five that Celtic put past Ross County to turn what was a bit of a sweat for an hour into a stroll for the champions.
Duffy got the goal that finally shook off the stubborn resistance of Stuart Kettlewell’s men, after Odsonne Edouard had scored an early penalty and Albian Ajeti had shown his predatory instinct once more to have Celtic two ahead at the break without really having the upper hand in the game.
It mattered not in the end though, with Celtic stepping up and killing the game after the break through Duffy, Kristoffer Ajer and substitute Patryk Klimala.
“Damien Duff text me today and said ‘I know it’s not what you dreamed of going to Dingwall in front of 300 fans playing for Celtic’,” Duffy said.
“But it was still a special moment. This year has been crazy but it’s something I’ll look back on with immense pride that I’ve got to play for this club.
“Hopefully it will be a successful time.”
There were 300 fans allowed access to the Global Energy
Stadium, although they weren’t allowed to sing or shout. Still, as sterile as it may have been in every sense of the word, it has to be hoped it is a first step towards some form of normality.
The arrival of Duffy at Celtic had aroused the question of whether Neil Lennon would revert to the 3-5-2 system that had worked so well after the winter break last season, and that proved to the case as the big Irishman went straight onto the right side of the defence with Christopher Jullien in the centre and Ajer on the left.
The latter was deemed fit enough after the international break to start, partnering Edouard in attack, and it was the Frenchman who won and then converted the penalty in the first few minutes.
The forward played a one-two on the edge of the area, spinning into the box only to be pulled down by Jordan Tillson, before ambling up to place the ball into the bottom right of Ross Laidlaw’s goal from 12 yards.
County weren’t deterred by the early setback though, and they were putting the new-look Celtic backline under pressure. The set-pieces of Iain Vigurs were causing issues, bringing a decent save from Vasilis Barkas with one before the keeper tipped another onto the post soon after.
The warnings were heeded though as Celtic took advantage of more County slackness at the back to double their advantage.
A free-kick from the left was whipped into the area by Callum McGregor, and when
County failed to clear their lines, Ajeti was there to sniff out the chance, getting enough on his low effort to beat Laidlaw.
The problem with having so few supporters present is that it’s not so easy to sneak out unnoticed when your team is 2-0 down after 20 minutes, but the County fans were right to stick with their team.
They came again, and a slack pass in midfield from Ajer saw Billy McKay break down the right and hang a great ball up to the back post for Ross Stewart, whose header was brilliantly palmed away by Barkas.
Celtic manager Lennon looked none too pleased with
his team as he stomped across to the temporary visiting dressing room on the far side of the pitch at the interval, but it was County who again threatened in the early stages of the second half, with Stewart probably feeling he shouldn’t have given Barkas the chance to save his effort when the ball arrived at his feet 12 yards out.
That was to be the last opportunity County had of keeping he contest alive, and on the hour, Celtic killed it stone dead. A corner was hung up by McGregor, and Duffy attacked it with zeal to bury the ball past Laidlaw.
The home side were utterly deflated, while the wind was in Celtic’s sails, and it was now just a matter of how many the champions fancied.
They soon got another as Olivier Ntcham broke down the left and centred low for Ajer of all people to steam in and slam home from close range.
Klimala should have added a fifth, but was somehow denied from close range by a defender on the line after dithering on a glorious opportunity, but he got his goal when fellow substitute Moi Elyounoussi teed him up to side-foot home.
Normal service may not quite have been resumed off the park, but it certainly has been on it.