Ross County resistance is broken down by Celtic as Staggies still search for first Premiership win of the season
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Celtic 3
Ross County 0
Scorers: Carter-Vickers (68) Ajeti (73, 87)
Ross County are still searching for their first win in the Premiership after their stubborn resistance was broken by Celtic.
It took Celtic until midway through the second half through a fortuitous deflected shot which caught Ross Laidlaw flatfooted to give Cameron Carter-Vickers his first goal of the season.
Albian Ajeti doubled their advantage minutes later and scored late on to kill off the match at Parkhead.
Ross County made three changes to the team that were denied victory late in the 1–1 draw against Aberdeen two weeks previously.
Alex Iacovitti and Connor Randall were both out while David Cancola was relegated to the bench.
Jack Baldwin, Jack Burroughs and Alex Samuel all started at Parkhead.
Celtic had the first chance of the game when Liel Abada was allowed to charge into the box and fired his shot against the crossbar.
They continued to apply the pressure when Carter-Vickers sent a ball through the heart of the County defence which found Ajeti.
He only had the goalkeeper to beat, but could only manage a tame low drive at Laidlaw who gathered comfortably.
Ross County could have taken the lead on the half hour mark with a golden chance when Blair Spittal’s cross evaded everyone in the box and was inches away from connecting with Ross Callachan’s boot in the six yard-box.
Abada came close again when he pounced on confusion in the Ross County defence in the box and smacked his shot against the crossbar.
Ross County made a change at half time as Harry Paton came on for Alex Samuel and they continued to frustrate Celtic at the start of the second half as they were unable to threaten Laidlaw’s goalmouth.
However, Celtic broke the deadlock midway through the second half when Carter-Vickers thunderous shot took a deflection off a Ross County player and caught Laidlaw flat footed as he attempted to palm the ball over the bar but can't reach it to stop it finding the net.
Ross County could have equalised instantly when Charles-Cook flew down the left wing and his cross found the diving header of Dominic Samuel in the six-yard box who forced a fantastic save from Joe Hart.
But Celtic went up the pitch and doubled their lead for Celtic when he nodded home a cross from close range.
He killed off the game five minutes from time after David Turnbull's cross was headed onto the bar by James McCarthy, but Ajeti was first to react to nod home the rebound.
Celtic: Hart, Taylor (Montgomery 48), Starfelt, Ajeti (McCarthy 80), Abada, Turnbull, Jota, Rogic, Carter-Vickers, McGregor, Jurnanovic.
Sub: Bain, Soro, McCarthy, Urhoghide, Shaw, Montgomery, Welsh.
Ross County: Laidlaw, Baldwin, Spittal, Callachan, Samuel (H Paton 45), Charles-Cook, Burroughs (Watson 75), Clarke, Tillson, Paton, White (Samuel 65).
Substititutes: Maynard-Brewer, Cancola, Robertson, Watson, Hungbo.
Referee: Don Robertson
