Bhoys battle back to sink County and take another step closer to the title
THEY didn’t exactly produce the form of champions, but there is no doubt that’s what Celtic are and will most definitely remain.
Ange Postecoglou’s side looked leggy and lacking for a substantial period of this affair. The break for the World Cup appears to be coming at a beneficial time for them in the wake of a condensed period of fixtures. What better way to be heading into it, though, than nine points clear of second-placed Rangers.
In truth, the league is over. Celtic, as they proved again here, find ways to win even when they aren’t firing on all cylinders.
Across the city at Ibrox, it is becoming clear that Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his collapsing, disjointed, injury-ravaged team will not be able to string together anything like enough in the way of meaningful pressure on them when the fixtures get back underway next month — if the Dutchman survives that long as manager.
The players enjoyed a lap of honour under the disco lights at time-up here as the home fans in the far corner of the ground rather cruelly chanted Van Bronckhorst’s name. It was, of course, a farewell to the fans for a month as events in Qatar — and the Sydney Super Cup — put the Premiership onto the backburner for a period.
However, it might as well have been dressed up as a title-winning celebration with the ‘Two In A Row’ T-shirts. The Parkhead side are home and hosed from here.
Yet, it has to be said that establishing this unassailable lead at the head of the table didn’t come easy for Postecoglou’s men. Much changed and missing the attacking qualities of Jota and Liel Abada, who came off the bench when the game was won, they had to come back from a goal down to a David Cancola penalty through two efforts in six minutes from David Turnbull and Sead Haksabanovic.
Were it not for the interventions of Reo Hatate, who knows how this match might have ended? He produced real technical brilliance in setting up Turnbull’s equaliser and played his part in the lovely, crisp passing move that delivered the winner. On days like this, he can be a real pleasure to watch — even if he only delivers in such short, telling bursts.
Sadly, there was one part of the overall spectacle that left a particularly bitter taste — the dispiriting sight of a pre-match minute’s silence for Remembrance Day being desecrated by noise from various parts of the ground.
The North Curve Ultras were not to blame. They had the foresight to remain on the concourse until kickoff and then take their seats. Instead, the discord came from a number of different, random pockets.
There were jeers. And catcalls. Then, some fans trying to shout down those who were breaking the silence. It became an embarrassing cacophony — made worse by a chant late on, for some inexplicable reason, of: ‘If you hate the Royal Family, clap your hands’.
It was all so sad and unnecessary. Celtic lost players in both the Great War and World War II. Many of their names were read out over the tannoy before referee David Munro blew his whistle to signal the short period of remembrance. How must their descendants feel about what unfolded at the club they served?
When the team of today finally kicked off the day’s sporting diversions, there were plenty of valid reasons for disquiet to fill the air. The likes of Jota, Abada and Greg Taylor were left on the bench as Postecoglou rang the changes.
Look, the high-octane style the Australian demands will mean there needs to be squad rotation. It is hard for players to play three games a week with those demands. However, with the World Cup break lying on the other side of this encounter and given Rangers’ failure to beat St Mirren earlier in the day, it seemed strange that he did not pick his strongest team.
Certainly, the directness of Jota and Abada was missed. Celtic haven’t been their old selves for a few weeks, to be honest. And one player who hasn’t quite reached the standards he set last season is Kyogo Furuhashi.
The Japanese attacker was favoured up front and came close early on with a flicked header from an Alexandro Bernabei cross that landed on the top of the net. However, that sharpness and coldeyed finishing that marked his debut campaign was sadly absent.
Midway through the opening 45, he burst clear from a midfield position and found himself one-onone with Ross Laidlaw. A year ago, it would have been a surefire goal. Not now. His effort was poorly struck and slid well wide of the Ross County goalkeeper’s left-hand post.
By that stage, Cameron CarterVickers had stung Laidlaw’s hands with a low drive that was eventually hacked clear by Alex Iacovitti, but this was already looking like an awkward afternoon for the champions long before Moritz Jenz limped off injured on 38 minutes to be replaced by Carl Starfelt.
County set up to break down play
and frustrate, hitting on the counter when possible. It worked well for a long time, with Victor Loturi and Cancola working hard in front of the back four.
Indeed, with the home support already on referee Munro’s back for a number of surprising decisions, the scene was set for a VAR decision shortly after the break.
Callum Johnson was competing with Bernabei and Matt O’Riley for the ball on the edge of the Celtic area when the ball shot upwards and clearly struck O’Riley on the hand. Munro pointed to the spot and a brief moment of consultation with VAR Euan Anderson told him he’d called it right.
Cancola stepped up to send Joe Hart the wrong way from the spot.
If anything, the goal gave Celtic the kick up the backside they so desperately needed. From then on, they looked a different, hungrier animal and got themselves in front within 18 minutes.
The leveller, shortly after the hour, came about thanks to some excellent play from Hatate. With quick feet and fine control, he jinked his way through a number of blue shirts on the left of the area before finding Turnbull directly in front of goal with a cutback.
He could barely miss, toepoking the ball home from close-range.
Six minutes later, after a penalty claim from Anthony Ralston had been dismissed following a VAR check, Celtic had turned it round. To round off a clever passage of play, Haksabanovic played a smart onetwo with Hatate and moved in from the left-hand side, producing a calm, sidefooted finish that beat Laidlaw at the far post.
It was a prime example of the kind of quick-passing football so many of these Celtic players can be capable of. It also reaffirms the fact that Haksabanovic, particularly as he turned up from Rubin Kazan short of match fitness, is looking like he will be well worth the £1.7million it cost to procure his services and another talent capable of turning a tidy profit in time.
The forward’s CV will soon be boosted further by a first league winner’s medal. There is nothing surer than that.