Premier Sports Cup

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Global Energy Stadium, Dingwall

ROSS COUNTY… 1

(Iacovitti 68)

CELTIC… 4

(McGregor 21, Giakoumakis 25, Maeda 73, Forrest 90)

Celtic booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Ross County in Dingwall.

Goals in the first-half from captain Callum McGregor and Giorgos Giakoumakis put Celtic in command, before a second-half goal from Daizen Maeda five minutes after County had pulled one back, and then a 90th-minute strike from James Forrest sent the Hoops into the next round.

It was the second time the Celts headed to the Highlands this month, after defeating Ross County with a couple of late goals in a 3-1 victory on the second match day of the league season.

The manager made a number of changes from Sunday’s outstanding 9-0 win over Dundee United, with Benjamin Siegrist getting his debut and Aaron Mooy and Alexandro Bernabei making their first competitive starts.

Not wanting to have a repeat of that late show earlier in the month and fresh from that 9-0 win over Dundee United, Ange Postecoglou’s side came out flying and almost had the lead inside three minutes, as Stephen Welsh crashed a header off the bar from a David Turnbull corner.

Two minutes later and the crossbar would deny Celtic again, this time Turnbull sized up a free-kick from 30 yards and his effort took a big deflection off the wall before striking the woodwork.

It was two huge opportunities to take the lead that came and went, but it only served to galvanise the Bhoys who strode forward and took the lead in 21 minutes.

A quick corner routine saw Turnbull catch the Ross County defence off guard as he dinked a ball into the near post for the unmarked McGregor and the captain calmly side-footed a volley into the back of the net.

Four minutes later and it was two, this time Giakoumakis getting in on the act. Brilliant direct passing football found Anthony Ralston in the centre-forward position, who had the awareness to backheel the ball to the Greek striker and with one touch he beat his marker and with his second he curled a left-foot shot into the bottom left corner from 18 yards.

Giakoumakis was a handful for the County defence throughout the first-half and had a few more opportunities before the break to double his lead, but couldn’t get his efforts on target as the Celts went into the break with the two-goal lead.

Celtic into the next round of the League Cup with victory over Ross County