Champions Celtic off to winning start against Ross County
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ROSS County were beaten 2-0 away to Celtic in the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership's first fixture of the new season today (Saturday) as the league winners celebrated their 2014-15 title success.
It was an initially sun-drenched day in Glasgow's east end for this 12.45pm showdown and an early Leigh Griffiths penalty and a Stefan Johansen goal sealed the deal for the champions on flag day.
County, who made the great escape to avoid any threat of relegation after a stunning recovery last season with 10 wins from their final 14 matches, were much changed with a dozen signings having been made since their last competitive ball was kicked.
This would have seemed like the toughest possible start for County, although a drew here in December then a 1-0 defeat against Celtic in Dingwall one month later will have given them hope, albeit achieved with a largely different group of players.
This game, which saw the Scottish title flag raised above Parkhead for the fourth year in succession, came sandwiched between a vital double header against FC Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League for the Glasgow giants.
In midweek, a 1-0 win has given them a real chance of progressing next Wednesday if they can complete the job in Azerbaijan.
The visitors had one injury doubt for this one, with left-back Jamie Reckord out with an Achilles problem.
Jackson Irvine, who was on loan at County last season, was added to Jim McIntyre's line-up following his permanent two-year switch to the Dingwall club last week.
Irvine and Ian McShane, a summer signing from Queen of the South, and defender Scott Boyd were the three changes from the side team which lost 2-0 at home to NEC Nijmegan from Holland in last weekend's friendly.
Dropping to the bench therefore, were defender Chris Robertson, wide midfielder Raffale De Vita and forward Brian Graham.
There were just four survivors from the side which last played Celtic, in that 1-0 league loss back in January, Craig Curran, Scott Boyd, Marcus Fraser and Rocco Quinn.
The Hoops were without striker Nadir Ciftci after the recent recruit from Dundee United began his six-game ban for a biting incident at his former club on Tayside.
Full-back Emilio Izaguirre also missed out through suspension, while a knee injury sidelined Charlie Mulgrew for Celtic.
The team lines may have sent a chill down the spines of the County players and management when in-form Leigh Griffiths was called into the starting 11, with former Dundee United flair players Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong given their chances to shine from the off.
County could not have got off to a worse start as they fell behind after just three minutes.
Griffiths was picked out by Virgil van Dijk as he raced into the box and new skipper Andrew Davies brought him to ground.
Griffiths stepped up and buried the ball past Scott Fox for the first top-flight goal of the season.
As expected, this gave the champions a spring in their step and County had to be alert in and around their box, while trying to get some kind of foothold in the game.
It was almost 2-0 for Celtic on 17 minutes when Griffiths went on the run again and passed to James Forrest and he drew a fine diving save from Fox from just inside the box.
An early knock, however, had left Griffiths struggling and his afternoon ended on 18 minutes as he was replaced by Stefan Scepovic.
There was a real flashpoint next when Irvine was put through after a slack pass from Dedryck Boyata and home keeper Craig Gordon sped out his box and brought the Australian midfielder down.
Gordon was booked and a free-kick was awarded to County. The visitors were raging that referee Willie Collum didn't flash the red card as it looked like a goalscoring opportunity.
However, Gordon stayed on and also saved from the free-kick taken by McShane.
On 28 minutes, Fox kept County in the contest when he saved from Mackay-Steven after Armstrong cut the ball back into the box.
Craig Curran gained a glimpse of goal when he broke through at an angle on Gordon but steered his drive wide of the left post.
Celtic were still probing through and van Dijk was next to go for goal but shot past the right post.
That pressure paid off when Mackay-Steven darted along the edge of the penalty area, fed the ball to Stefan Johansen and he finished with style beyond Fox to make it 2-0 after 35 minutes.
There was no further damage before the break, so McIntyre gathered his troops as they sought to somehow turn this game around.
The best chance of the first 15 minutes of the second half came County's was when Curran went close after positive play from Irvine bursting forward.
The Staggies were certainly having a go,with Gardyne tripped by Armstrong when he attacked on 63 minutes.
Gardyne then had a pop when a corner broke to him but it had too much height to trouble Gordon.
Gordon, however, had to be alert moments later when he pushed clear a net-bound drive from sub De Vita who connected with a low Fraser cross from the right as County continued to show positivity.
Kris Commons, who replaced Johansen on the hour mark, almost notched a third Celtic goal 10 minutes later with a fizzing shot and only a touch over the top from Fox denied him.
Fox then pawed away a telling cross into the box from Armstrong and Celtic went for a killer third.
Gardyne went down in the box under a challenge from van Dijk but play was waved on and Commons almost netted for the champs but his effort wide of goal with 13 minutes to go as the main began to pour down.
Moments later, Commons again went for goal, this time drawing a fine stop from Fox.
Despite the defeat for County, they will take heart from an encouraging second half and ability to dig in after a horror start.
A much more winnable chance comes next Saturday when they host Martin Canning's Hamilton in the Scottish Premiership.
Celtic: Gordon, Ambrose,Van Dijk, Brown, Griffiths (Scepovic 18), Armstrong, Mackay-Steven, Boyata, Johansen (Commons 60), Forrest, Tierney (Janko 60). Subs not used: Bailly, Bitton, Rogic, McGregor.
Ross County: Fox, Fraser, Boyd, Quinn, Gardyne, McShane (Graham 86), Curran (Boyce 70), Foster, Davies, Murdoch (De Vita 56), Irvine. Subs not used: Bachmann, Robertson, Holden, Franks.
Referee: Willie Collum.
