2017-04-16: Ross County 2-2 Celtic, SP

Trivia

• Turned into a surprisingly controversial game.
• Ross County player won a penalty from as blatant a dive as you can get, Sviatchenko was around 1 yard away. This was all late in the game, and then later on close to the death Scott Brown put in silly unneeded challenge and was red carded. Many believe should have been a yellow, and many Celtic fans going ape on this believing that referees were against.
• Referee was out of his depth here, but as expected calls were was he biased? Or just incompetent? Possibly both.
• Rodgers unequivocal over it: "That is blatant cheating." "I've seen some really bad decisions up here from referees and officials, but I've got to say that was the worst I've seen."
• Roberts scores a class goal.
• Easter Weekend, Early kick-off
• Celtic in hunt for Treble, league & league cup in the bag. Next week is the major one, semi-final v Sevco in the Scottish Cup.
• Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan insists Celtic would only last one campaign in the Premier League, and even suggests rivals Rangers would fare better in the English top flight. Jordan, who made the comments on Twitter, said Celtic would only last three “seasons” – autumn, winter and spring. We all just laugh in return.
• Brendan Rodgers has suggested Celtic will break their transfer record this summer. Rodgers believes if the club make a clever investment of £8.5m, then they could receive “£40m or £50m” in two years time. It’s all a tough one to make, and has backfired in the past. There is faith in Rogers, but can Celtic take the risk?
• Brendan Rodgers will be handed a £15m transfer budget by the Celtic board this summer according to reports.
• Champions League: Qtr-finals: Bor Dortmund bus attacked by alleged terrorists using remotely activated explosive devices. Luckily none seriously injured. Game postponed for a day.

Review

(timtastic of KDS)
We aren't playing too well at the moment but yesterday the referee cheated. The penalty was a joke, but there were other "honest mistakes".
Brown's red is 50-50. No way does an opponent get sent off for that tackle, as seen by the same tackle on Tierney. Brown lost it due to the penalty and Boyce taking him out late on. This happened to Brown a few times yesterday, according to the Sky panel Brown does this to players as well, the difference is that Brown is penalised whilst others aren't.

I would also liked to hear the referee explain the injury time. Three minutes declared in a
half with 6 subs, County players requiring treatment on the park, the penalty incident and subsequent discussion.
We then have the sending off and " stramash" that followed. He allowed an extra 30 seconds.

(Hellas67 of KDS)
My tuppence worth. We have have been off the boil for a few weeks now and have seen a huge dip in form in Sinclair and Dembele amongst others, I know Sinclair has scored a few goals in that time but he hasn't been at his best that is plain to see for everyone. I don't know if BR gave him the instruction to go central when LG came on but Tierney was completely isolated on the left flank. Erik has been very shakey and I sincerely hope he doesn't start next week as his passing has been very weak and all that shower need is to get one chance from a poor pass by him and his confidence would shatter.

The whole teams passing today was very poor and it was a workmanlike performance.

The ref is a cheating carrot as we all know, there was no excuse at all for that pen to have been given.

Brown was stupid for that tackle but surely having seen all the tackles that our opposition get away with every single game against us he could be justified in think he'd only get a yellow, plus the **** that he tackled had been leaving his leg in in his last few challenges with Brown so he decided enough was enough.

Too many players off form just now, just hope that the atmosphere next week will make them bring their A game and give us a match to enjoy.

(CelticElvis of KDS)
BBC now saying on their football site that SB is OK to play in the SF.

I thought it was a red, if one of our players had been on the receiving end of that challenge I would be screaming for a sending off.

I'm inclined to give SB leeway for his tackle, we complain here week after week about how our players are not being protected, some of our players have lost a lot of game time from dangerous tackles while others could have been seriously injured while officials that are on the pitch to protect them have looked the other way or failed to respond correctly.

Brown clearly had enough and sought to let both RC & the cheat, sorry ref know it, he is not a robot and giving that our players are on the receiving end of some disgusting tackles every week, it shouldn't come as a surprise that this happened.

Flawless posted earlier that we have been poor and he is right, certainly since the new huns draw, again given that we had the league all but won, this is understandable.

What worries me is that it is no easy feat to turn your game on & off and our performance has to improve significantly next Sunday.

If BR is the manager he appears to be he will be able to turn todays events into the springboard that will get us the performance.

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Stats

Ross County Celtic

Possession
Home34%
Away66%

Shots
Home5
Away11

Shots on Target
Home5
Away6

Corners
Home4
Away2

Fouls
Home12
Away1

Articles

Ross County 2 – 2 Celtic: Champions foiled by disputed penalty
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/competitions/premiership/ross-county-2-2-celtic-champions-foiled-by-disputed-penalty-1-4420984

What should have been just another fairly routine victory for Celtic in their unbeaten domestic season was transformed into a hugely contentious and potentially costly draw for the champions in an astonishing and briefly ugly finale to their Easter Sunday outing in Dingwall.

Their anger at referee Don Robertson’s decision to award County a spot-kick, coolly converted by Liam Boyce, for what was plainly a dive from substitute Alex Schalk was fully justified. It was a blatant piece of simulation from the Dutch striker who went down despite no contact from Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko.

Brown allowed his own sense of injustice to get the better of him, committing a 
needless and reckless foul on Boyce in stoppage time which saw Robertson reach straight for his top pocket. Celtic
are set to appeal the decision, allowing Brown to play in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers at Hampden.

While Celtic seethed, County savoured a precious point which could prove 
crucial in their bid to preserve their top-flight status for another year. Fortunate to only be trailing 1-0 at half-time to a Kieran Tierney strike, they improved after the break to level through Michael Gardyne. Celtic substitute Patrick 
Roberts appeared to have won it with 12 minutes remaining before the refereeing blunder allowed Jim McIntyre’s men to salvage a draw.

Brendan Rodgers’ determination that his team will not lose any of the momentum and purpose which has carried them so impressively throughout his maiden campaign in charge was evident in the sustained focus of their work here as they dominated proceedings from the start and stretched their undefeated sequence in domestic football to 40 matches.

While seeking to ensure there is no diminishment in 
Celtic’s intensity, however, Rodgers, pictured inset, can also allow himself some licence for experimentation in the closing weeks of the league season. That manifested itself in the deployment of a fluid and relatively unconventional 3-4-2-1 system which saw Tierney line up alongside Erik Sviatchenko and Jozo Simunovic in a three-man central defence.

Tom Rogic, making his first start since being sidelined by an ankle injury in December, joined Scott Sinclair in the most advanced of the midfield roles behind leading scorer Moussa Dembele,
who returned up front.

Celtic’s possession stats did not take long to enter 70 per cent territory with County opting for a policy of containment, their own three-man central defence effectively turned into a back five for most of the afternoon as wing-backs Reghan Tumilty and Kenny van der Weg found little scope to push forward.

The hosts did succeed in limiting Celtic’s incursions into their penalty area but Tierney provided the first sign of the threat he carried from distance when his 18th-minute drive from around 25 yards was gathered by Scott Fox low at his right-hand post.

As Celtic steadily built up a head of steam, the County goalkeeper was grateful to Van der Weg just a minute later when the Dutchman did well to block a close-range effort from James Forrest after a cross from Callum McGregor had broken into the winger’s path.

Celtic could afford to be patient in their pursuit of the opener, which was fully deserved when it finally arrived in the 34th minute after a bout of intelligent probing play which had the home side chasing shadows. It ended with Rogic sliding a pass into the path of Tierney who this time sent his low left-foot shot from distance beyond the left hand of Fox into the corner of the net.

Having offered so little ambition up until that point, County could have no complaints at falling behind but they passed up a decent chance to equalise three minutes later when Tim Chow was unable to get enough purchase on his shot from around 12 yards which was comfortably held by Craig Gordon.

There was a greater urgency about County at the start of the second half, more befitting of a team still very much involved in the relegation equation. It brought them a rapid reward when Gardyne drew them level five minutes after the restart. Ryan Dow was the creator with a fine cross from the left, the quality of the delivery matched by Gardyne’s header which beat Gordon via the underside of the crossbar.

There was a sudden vulnerability about Celtic defensively and they survived a couple of Jim O’Brien corner kicks none too convincingly, the first scrambled off the line by Brown and the second seeing Andrew Davies allowed a free header which Gordon saved.

As County sought to take advantage 
of the unexpected shift in momentum, Gordon then had to react sharply to hold a snapshot from Boyce after good work from Gardyne.

Rodgers made a double substitution, replacing Rogic and Dembele with Cristian Gamboa and Leigh Griffiths, and the champions gradually regained a significant measure of control over proceedings. The introduction of 
their third replacement made a more tangible impression as Roberts put them back in front with a superb 
individual goal.

The on-loan Manchester City winger cut in from the right and bamboozled both Van der Weg and Marcus Fraser with some dazzling footwork before spearing a low shot through Fox into the corner of the net.

Celtic almost wrapped up the three points when Stuart Armstrong’s free-kick smacked back off the crossbar but were forced to settle for just one as the match reached its dramatic and controversial conclusion.

BBC

By Martin Dowden

BBC Scotland

From the section Football

Highlights: Ross County 2-2 Celtic

Liam Boyce earned Ross County a precious point against 10-man Celtic with a controversial late penalty.

The hosts earned the spot-kick when Alex Schalk went down under Erik Sviatchenko's challenge, but it seemed a clear dive from the County man.

Kieran Tierney had fired Celtic ahead before Michael Gardyne nodded the home side level after the break and Patrick Roberts made it 2-1 to the champions.

Celtic skipper Scott Brown was sent off after the penalty for a lunge on Boyce.

But Celtic are set to appeal against the red card, with the hearing not taking place until 28 April, meaning Brown is likely to be available for next Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers.

Brown free to face Rangers despite red card
'Not a penalty': McIntyre & Rodgers agree on controversial decision

The result takes Ross County on to 33 points, two behind seventh-placed Kilmarnock and three clear of the relegation play-off spot.

Taking a point against the champions is a significant outcome for County, although the circumstances in which it was earned were far from ideal.

Whatever reason Schalk may offer for going down, Sviatchenko was not even close to making a tackle and it looked like obvious simulation.

Schalk simply threw himself to the ground and it is difficult to fathom how the officials managed to miss that and award a penalty.

Boyce showed tremendous nerve to drill home the spot kick to boost County's quest to avoid relegation.

Things got worse for Celtic when captain Brown earned a straight red card for a reckless late challenge on Boyce.
Scott Brown earns a red card
Celtic captain Scott Brown was shown a straight red card for his challenge on Liam Boyce

There had been some earlier niggle between the pair but Brown's anger over the penalty call may have been behind this rash moment.

Before Schalk's intervention, Celtic had reasserted their authority thanks to a piece of fine play from Patrick Roberts, who brilliantly nutmegged Kenny van der Weg before firing the ball through keeper Scott Fox.

The goalkeeper had to do better as he got down slowly and he also might have been at fault at Tierney's first-half opener which fizzed into the corner from 25 yards.

Celtic had regained the initiative in the latter stages and Stuart Armstrong was very unlucky with a free-kick that cracked off the crossbar.

The visitors were well in control before the late drama.
County's stick-or-twist dilemma

Jim McIntyre's County side were solid until Tierney's opener but once they conceded they faced something of a conundrum.

Goal difference is important so should they sit in and hope for a chance, or go for broke and risk further concession?
Patrick Roberts makes it 2-1 to Celtic
Patrick Roberts fired Celtic 2-1 up but keeper Scott Fox could have done better

They came out after the break on the front foot and it paid off. Ryan Dow swung a deep cross in from the left and Gardyne powered a superb header in off the bar for his first goal of the season.

County kept going forward with Andrew Davies and Boyce going close.

The hosts' improvement prompted Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers into three substitutions, with one of those, Roberts, delivering what looked like the winner.

The conclusion was very unfortunate but it could be the difference between County staying in the Premiership or not.