Ross County 1-0 Celtic: Jordan White’s late bullet header seals SHOCK win for Scottish Premiership basement boys and pushes Rangers closer to the title

When they come to write the story of Celtic’s dismal season, the name of Ross County will be writ large.

Not content with loosening the Parkhead club’s stranglehold on the domestic honours by winning the Betfred Cup clash in Glasgow in November, this repeat triumph ended the soon-to-be deposed champions’ recent mini renaissance at a stroke.

While the outcome of this one match was never truly going to have any bearing on the destination of the title, it does significantly increase the chances of Steven Gerrard’s men getting over the line at Celtic Park on March 21.

Jordan White scored the second-half winner for struggling Ross County against Celtic

MATCH FACTS

Ross County: (4-5-1): Laidlaw 8; Naismith 7, Morris 4 (Watson 42), Iacovitti 7, Tremarco 7; Gardyne 7 (Draper 69), Kelly 7 (Charles- Cook 69), Lakin 8, Andreu 7 (Tillson 69), Spittal 7 (Paton 60); White 8. 

Subs not used: Hilton, Shaw, Mckay, Hylton. 

Booked: Paton.

Celtic: (4-2-3-1): Bain 6; Kenny 75, Welsh 5, Ajer 6, Taylor 3 (Laxalt 8); Brown 5, McGregor 5; Christie 4 (Elyounoussi 83), Rogic 5 (Griffiths 67), Turnbull 5; Edouard 4. 

Subs not used: Hazard, Ajeti, Klimala, Soro, Henderson, Ralston. 

Booked: None.

Man of the match: Jordan White.

Referee: David Munro

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In this most lamentable of campaigns, there are those who feel there is almost a sense of inevitability about that.

Celtic got precisely what they deserved here. Disjointed and error prone throughout, there was scant evidence of the upsurge in form that had seen them win five games on the spin.

They created more than enough chances to get the job done but their final ball and finishing were nothing short of woeful. The loss of another goal from a set-piece was like the rerun of an old movie.

It was a night straight from the dark days of October and November and brings all of the issues of that period back into sharp focus.

The striker headed home unchallenged from a 71st-minute free-kick on Sunday night

The blunt truth is that performance like these have been the unwritten rule of Celtic’s season – not the exception.

And if there were some mitigating circumstances for those travails earlier in the campaign, there were absolutely none here: This was a side without an excuse but the display they collectively turned in was precisely that.

Amid it all, Ross County’s heroics should not and will not be lost. Jordan White thumped home a header with 19 minutes remaining to clinch the win but was one of so many heroes in blue.

The upshot of Country’s endeavours is three points which lift them to 10th place in the table. They will now back themselves to go higher.

While they rode their luck at times, defensively they were magnificent. By the time the last heroic block was made, you had to remind yourself that they’d conceded 15 goals in seven matches coming into this and 53 over the season to date. This felt like a turning point.

Celtic’s Ryan Christie was guilty of an astonishing miss from seven yards in the first-half

With a more settled back four, Neil Lennon had seen his side claim three clean sheets in their previous five games but they were denied that element continuity just eight minutes in when Greg Taylor pulled up with a muscle injury. Diego Laxalt, the lesser spotted Uruguayan, was sprung from the bench.

Given how positively County had started, Celtic could have lived without that set back. Stephen Kelly had already picked Scott Brown’s pocket 30 yards out with Tony Andreu forcing Scott Bain into a comfortable early save.

On a bumpy, muddy surface, Celtic struggled to get into an early rhythm. John Hughes’ ploy of packing the midfield and defending deep when called upon gave little encouragement to the visitors.

Just as the County manager was beginning to like what he saw, Ryan Christie took advantage of Alex Iacovitti dozing and made for goal. His cross invited someone in green and white to gamble. None did and County breathed a sigh if relief.

County were more than making game of it. Blair Spittal worked Bain again with a stinging drive after the home side had thrown bodies forward.

Then, from Charlie Lakin’s deep corner, Jason Naismith rose at the back post, sent the ball back where it had come from and found Andreu. The Frenchman headed over from eight yards when he ought to have done better.

Another unwarranted error, this time Ross Laidlaw’s miskick, threatened to undo all of County’s good work to that point.

Odsonne Edouard gathered on the left side of the box, thought about shooting but saw David Turnbull in a better position. Only a sliding block by Iacovitti denied the midfielder the opener.

Ross County’s Alex Iacovitti (left) and Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard battle for the ball

Lennon was becoming an increasingly frustrated figure on the touchline. Christie had already sent one shot into the stand when he unforgivably missed a simple chance to convert Edouard’s cross from close range.

A sweet strike at St Mirren aside, it’s fair to say that Christie’s finishing of late hasn’t been what it used to be.

Hughes was forced to replace Callum Morris with Keith Watson after the skipper succumbed to an impact injury but there was no question he was still the happier manager at the break.

Christie did better when he connected with Jonjoe Kenny’s cross just after the break but not sufficiently to work Laidlaw with his header.

An uncharacteristic David Turnbull slip allowed County to again advance in numbers. Bain calmly plucked Spittal’s curling effort from the night sky.

A sweeping move involving Callum McGregor, Edouard and Laxalt ended with the full-back firing narrowly over. It was becoming the story of Celtic’s night.

Christie continued the theme after fine work by Stephen Welsh to set him up. As a tame left foot ran past the post, Lennon looked to the heavens.

At times, County were just as profligate, though. Another energetic counter-attack gave Spittal ample opportunity to work Bain. Laxalt stayed on his feet long enough and the chance was gone.

The Uruguayan came onto a decent game. His smart ball round the corner gave Christie another opportunity. This time Laidlaw was called into action and beat away his angled strike.

Sensing another two points were drifting away, Lennon threw on Leigh Griffiths for Tom Rogic on 67 minutes.

Hughes’ responded with a triple change involving Regan Charles-Cook, Ross Draper and Jordan Tillson but before either man had had a touch their side were a goal to the good.

Jonjoe Kenny’s foul on Paton gave County a chance to load the box. The midfielder took charge of the situation with a percentage delivery onto the six-yard box.

With the ball in the air, Celtic’s rearguard seemed to turn to stone. At set pieces, it’s too often the case. White muscled in and thumped a header in off the upright. The scoreline was no travesty.

Celtic’s response saw a Turnbull shot deflected wide for a corner and Griffiths fire into Laidlaw’s arms. Mohamed Elyounoussi replaced Christie but not before the forward had ruined nimble footwork in the penalty box with another off-target effort.

Elyounoussi did manage to call Laidlaw into action with a late header but County were not to be denied another famous win.

Up to 10th place as a consequence, the Staggies’ season has just got going. For Celtic, the sooner this all ends the better.

Neil Lennon’s side remain 18 points behind leaders Rangers after the latest setback