Celtic 2-1 Ross County: Stokes double gives Hoops opening win
- adamhigginsuk
- Aug 3, 2013
- 8 min read
Lethal: Anthony Stokes turns away in celebration after grabbing a dramatic late winner to secure the Hoops an opening day victory as Ross County's Rocco Quinn turns away in anguish (Picture from SNS Group)
Anthony Stokes spared the blushes of a profligate Celtic to ensure victory over a resilient Ross County as they opened their Scottish Premiership campaign.
Staggies debutant Darren Maatsen stunned the Hoops fans after just three minutes when he lashed the ball high past Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster from the edge of the box.
Stokes levelled with a scrappy goal in the 27th minute and thereafter, the reigning champions pounded the Dingwall outfit for most of the game with unremitting pressure.
Kris Commons and Charlie Mulgrew hit the woodwork amid a host of squandered opportunities before Stokes grabbed his second of the game three minutes from time.
It gave the Glasgow side a winning start to the defence of their title as County's second ever season in Scotland's top flight began with an unfortunate defeat.
But it was so nearly an early dent to the 90-point total Celtic manager Neil Lennon has set for the inaugural year of the Scottish Professional Football League's Premiership with last season racking up 79 points for the Hoops as they won the final Scottish Premier League crown.
Lennon has acknowledged his side are heavy favourites to win the league but is looking to claim a third successive title in a more dominant style.
Aside from the sheer amount of chances his side missed, another worry for the Bhoys manager will be the injury sustained by debutant Derk Boerrigter.
The 26-year-old Dutch winger, who signed from Ajax in midweek for a reported fee of £3 million, was replaced by Tony Watt near the end of the first half after picking up a knock.
He may be doubtful for the second leg of Celtic's Champions League third qualifying round tie against Elfsborg in Sweden on Wednesday night as the Hoops travel with a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Glasgow.
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Celtic won just one of the sides' four meetings last term - a 4-0 win at Parkhead in December courtesy of James Forrest, captain Scott Brown and two goals from Gary Hooper.
The Hoops were without Georgios Samaras with a toe injury and centre-back Kelvin Wilson through a shin splints problem but James Forrest and Mikael Lustig started despite being doubtful with respective knocks.
Boerrigter made his debut after recovering from the groin injury which forced him to watch the midweek European win from the stands but fellow countryman Virgil Van Dijk was out with a foot injury.
Ross County, who punched above their weight in their maiden SPL campaign with a fifth-placed finish, were without suspended key midfield duo Ivan Sproule and Richard Brittain following red cards in pre-season which brought a two-match ban.
25-year-old Dutch midfielder Melvin De Leeuw was unable to make his debut as he struggled with an ankle problem.
The Celtic players were given a guard of honour by County before John Keane, honorary chairman of Celtic, and chairman Ian Bankier, unfurled the club's 44th championship flag.
And the champions appeared to be caught cold when play began. Supporters' minds may still yet to be made up on the reliability of Hoops defender Efe Ambrose when Graham Carey closed down the Nigerian's first minute clearance.
Debutant Kevin Luckassen had a decent chance in the opening moments when he was played in by another new boy Carey but he hesitated with his shot blocked by Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew.
However, when County next went up the park, early Celtic shakiness made way for sheer Staggies brilliance as Stuart Kettlewell laid the ball off to Maatsen at the edge of the box with the former Excelsior player thundering a drive past the flailing Forster and in off the crossbar.
That was enough to spring Celtic, who lost seven league matches last term, into action and Boerrigter missed two chances to score with Stokes inexplicably passing up on another opportunity by passing to Joe Ledley twelve yards out when he should have shot.
As Celtic stepped up the pressure, James Forrest flashed a left-footed shot wide of the post from the edge of the box before Mark Brown made a fine save from a powerful drive by Kris Commons.
The visitors, who drew 1-1 with the champions in May in Dingwall, failed to defend the corner properly and when Ledley's drive from just inside the box was saved by Brown, Lustig turned the ball towards the goal and Stokes chased it to the post before knocking it over the line.
Boerrigter then had to be replaced by Tony Watt after picking up an injury trying to get on the end of a Stokes ball.
It was unfortunate for the Dutchman who had refuted claims he had been injury prone in Holland at the pre-match press conference on Friday.
32-year-old former Celtic and Kilmarnock custodian Brown had to make another save two minutes from the break, this time from Stokes, after the County defence had been undone again with a simple long ball.
An impressive start to the second half by the home side saw Stokes miss a decent chance with a header before unluckily volleying just past the post from a Forrest cross but the pattern was set.
In the 51st minute, Commons smacked the top of the crossbar from eight yards after being set up by Watt before County defender Branislav Micic bravely blocked a goal-bound shot from the Hoops midfielder.
In a rare Staggies threat in the 58th minute, ex-St Mirren man Carey dipped a free-kick from thirty yards over the crossbar after Scott Brown's sloppy foul on Rocco Quinn.
However, minutes later, Staggies centre-back Grant Munro almost put through his own goal when trying to cut out a Stokes cross with Brown again having to make a good save.
Celtic, who also won the Scottish Cup last season, were relentlessly probing in search of establishing the lead as Mulgrew headed a Kris Commons corner against the post before the visitors' cleared their lines.
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Ross County have conceded at least twice in their last five away league games.
Referee Willie Collum then angered the Hoops fans and boss Lennon in the 76th minute when he refused to point to the spot after another County debutant Brian McLean clashed with Stokes inside the box, sending the Irishman to the ground.
With seven minutes remaining, and anxiety inside Celtic Park increasing, Commons worked a one-two with Stokes but again Brown foiled the close-range attempt from the ex-Nottingham Forest and Derby playmaker.
However, Celtic got the goal their pressure deserved when Stokes continued his telepathic understanding with Commons to twist and turn inside the box from the Scotsman's cute pass.
He then arrowed a low drive past Brown to take the acclaim of the relieved Lennon to secure a 13th successive home league win.
Celtic's next league match will be against Aberdeen at Pittodrie in a fortnight after cancelling their fixture with St Mirren next Saturday due to their participation in a friendly with Liverpool at Dublin's AVIVA Stadium while County host promoted Partick Thistle at Victoria Park.
Saturday 3rd August 2013
SPFL Scottish Premiership
Parkhead (West Glasgow, Scotland)
Celtic 2-1 Ross County KO 5:15pm Live on Sky Sports 1/HD1 (HT 1-1)
Stokes 28, 87 Maatsen 3
Celtic: (4-4-1-1) 1 Forster - 7.5/10, 23 Lustig - 6.5/10 (Matthews 68 - 3.5/10), 4 Ambrose - 7.5/10, 21 Mulgrew - 7.5/10, 3 Izaguirre - 8.5/10, 49 Forrest - 7.5/10 (Beram Kayal 90+1 - 1/10), 8 Brown (C) - 7.5/10, 16 Ledley - 8/10, 15 Commons - 8.5/10, 11 Boerrigter - 6.5/10 (Watt 39 - 6/10), 10 Stokes - 9.5/10.
Subs not used: 24 Zaluska (GK), 22 Mouyokolo, 46 McGeouch, 17 Balde
Booked: None
Ross County: (4-5-1) 1 Brown - 7.5/10, 2 Kovacevic - 6.5/10, 12 Munro (C) - 7.5/10, 21 McLean - 8.5/10, 3 Gordon - 6/10, 14 Maatsen - 7.5/10 (Cooper 62 - 5/10), 6 Micic - 7/10, 4 Kettlewell - 7/10, 10 Quinn - 6.5/10, 23 Carey - 7/10 (Saunders 71 - 4.5/10), 19 Luckassen - 7/10 (Mustafi 83 - 2/10).
Subs not used: 20 Fraser (GK), 18 Klok, 11 De Leeuw, 17 Ross
Booked: Kettlewell (64)
My Man of the Match: Anthony Stokes (Celtic) - Rating 9.5/10
My Poorest Performer of the Match: Ben Gordon (Ross County) - Rating 6/10
Referee: Willie Collum (Scotland) - 9/10 Assistant referees: Martin Cryans (Scotland) and Willie Conquer (Scotland) Fourth Official: George Salmond (Scotland)
Attendance: 45,705
Match Facts:
Possession: Celtic - 62% Ross County - 38%
Shots: Celtic - 25 Ross County - 5
Shots on target: Celtic - 9 Ross County - 1
Shots off target: Celtic - 16 Ross County - 4
Corners: Celtic - 8 Ross County - 5
Fouls: Celtic - 7 Ross County - 16
Offside: Celtic - 1 Ross County - 0
Assists: Celtic - 2 (Boerrigter, Commons) Ross County - 1 (Kettlewell)
MANAGER & PLAYER REACTION:-
Celtic FC manager Neil Lennon
"Anthony [Stokes] is part of it and there's never any question of him being left out of things. His goal record here is very good and he brings a lot more to the team than just goals. There's no question that Hooper might well have had a few himself today but I was really pleased with Anthony. His link-up play got better as the game went on and he scored us a great goal to win the game. I hope everyone saw what [Derk] Boerrigter can bring to the team. He gave us that real impact on the left-hand-side and even when we were attacking down the right he was getting in there and creating chances. He was part of the whole response and nearly scored. We were a bit dozy to start with and we got punished for that with a fantastic goal from Ross County. But our response for the next 84 minutes was scintillating football. I couldn't have asked for any more and if it had ended up 1-1, I would've still been very pleased."
Ross County manager Derek Adams
"I'm not disappointed because it's always difficult coming to Celtic Park. We're Ross County, a small team from the north of Scotland trying to come and compete with a multi-million pound team. It was a fantastic goal from Maatsen and I thought [Kevin] Luckassen did exceptionally well up front too. I thought Celtic played well - a lot better than they did against Elfsborg on Wednesday. The players stuck to their task very well - we've worked on different systems throughout the pre-season. We knew we'd have to defend well and it was a hard task. From my point of view our season starts next week."
Last updated: 3 August 2013 19:25pm
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