Match Pictures | Matches: 2021 – 2022
Trivia
- Friendly match
- Celtic were supposed to play Derry City BUT this was called off due to the Coronavirus quarantine issues.
- Socially distant Huddle pre-match!
- Game is first on the Celtic virtual season ticket that allows season ticket holders to watch the matches online if can’t make it to the game due to restrictions.
- Absolute shambles with the online collpasing and Celtic having to put the game free on Youtube but then back on but few got to watch it properly, and sound was a disaster. All that could have gone wrong – did so.
- Celtic being linked with umpteen players in the transfer dramas.
- Brighton hailed ‘true professional and fantastic club servant’ Beram Kayal after the ex-Celt left following expiration of his contract.
- David Hagen: Tributes paid to former Rangers, Hearts and Falkirk player who has died at 47 from Motor Neuron Disease. RIP
- Scottish entertainment legend Johnny Beatie has passed away. RIP
- Transfers: News on Celtic signing Albian Ajeti on loan from West Ham. Sevco’s Morelos in comedy transfer “is he or isn’t he” going to Lille! French media said yes then Ibrox said no negotiations etc.
- Celtic play M’well the next day for another match
Summary
Simple runout but Ross County were dirty as hell, didn’t they know this was a friendly?
Little to write home about.
(MLE of KDS)
I know it’s only been a few friendlies and all that but I can’t help but be a little bit concerned by the lack of coherent attacking plan we seem to have right now. Elyounoussi has been the only attacker that has managed to achieve anything so far which is excellent news inasmuch as he seems to be raring to go but bad news if you look at Edouard, Forrest and Christie as being our top 3 goal threats.
I’m hoping things click in once the real games start but it’s slightly worrying.
(VQ of KDS)
This pre-season has emphasised to me that Scottish football needs to get rid of those crappy mitre balls that travel about as well as brick going through someone’s front window in Easterhouse.
Seeing how the fitba’s in the French games pure zipped about the park and then comparing it to the crappy mitre baws trundling about Celtic Park today. It’s a disgrace.
Scottish football really needs to move into the 21st century.
Teams
Celtic:
CELTIC: Bain, Frimpong, Jullien, Ajer, Taylor (McInroy 43), Brown, McGregor, Forrest, Christie, Elyounoussi, Edouard.
Subs: Hazard, Klimala, Connell, Welsh, Dembele
Goals: Donaldson og 2, Elyounoussi 14
ROSS COUNTY: Trialist, Randall, Red, Iacovitti, Donaldson, Vigurs (Mackinnon 88), Charles-Cook, Draper (Stewart 76), Shaw (Wright 88), Erwin, Paton.
Subs: Munro, Williamson, Kelly.
Ref:
Att: zero (closed doors)
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Articles
Celtic 2 – 0 Ross County: Greg Taylor injury causes slight anxiety
Neil Lennon hopeful full-back will shake off ankle knock
By STEPHEN HALLIDAY
Sunday, 26th July 2020, 5:33 pm
Greg Taylor, who sustained an ankle injury which forced his withdrawal, is tackled by Connor Randall during Celtic’s 3-0 pre-season friendly victory over Ross CountY. Picture: Getty.
Neil Lennon is hopeful Greg Taylor will be fit for the start of Celtic’s ten-in-a-row league campaign next weekend despite suffering a painful ankle injury in a dominant friendly win over Ross County yesterday.
Taylor, who has established himself as Lennon’s first-choice left-back, limped off before half-time after an own goal by Coll Donaldson and a fine Mohamed Elyounoussi strike established early control of the match.
Celtic: Get the latest team news, match previews and reports
“He thinks he should be okay,” said Celtic manager Lennon. “It’s a trauma knock and we are hoping he will be fit to resume training on Wednesday or Thursday. He was a bit sore but it seems to have settled a little bit. It will depend on the swelling over the next couple of days but he should be okay for the weekend.”
No football venue in Scotland will provide a more surreal environment during the behind-closed-doors start to the new season than the 60,000-capacity home of the champions. The recorded crowd noise piped through the cavernous stadium’s PA system did little to diminish the eerie atmosphere to which Lennon’s players must become accustomed in their home fixtures for the foreseeable future.
A socially-distanced pre-match huddle by Celtic added to the bizarre nature of the occasion but the manner in which the hosts started and approached the contest would have been reassuringly familiar to their manager and the 50,000 supporters who tuned in on Celtic TV.
Fielding a full-strength line-up, Celtic were quickly into their stride and went ahead with just over two minutes on the clock. Taylor, impressive before his afternoon was cut short, caused early panic in the County defence with a dangerous cross from the left.
Donaldson, attempting to clear the danger, took a hasty swipe at the ball which sent it soaring over a helpless Ross Doohan, the 22-year-old Celtic goalkeeper playing as a trialist for the visitors.
Stuart Kettlewell’s side were hemmed into their defensive third of the pitch for most of the first half as Celtic knocked the ball around with pace and precision. They made it 2-0 in the 14th minute with a neatly-worked goal. James Forrest and Jeremie Frimpong combined on the right and the young full-back’s low cross picked out Elyounoussi whose low right-foot shot beat Doohan to his left.
A Forrest shot was deflected on to the crossbar as Celtic threatened to run riot but County gradually steadied the ship and new signing Connor Randall posted their first effort on goal in the 30th minute, but the former Hearts loanee’s 20 yard shot was comfortably held by Scott Bain.
Celtic reasserted themselves and the action again took on the look of an attack-versus-defence training drill for the remainder of the first half.
The departure of Taylor was their only sour note, the Scotland international trying but unable to continue after being floored by a crunching foul by Donaldson which should have earned the defender a caution from referee Greg Aitken.
Teenager Kerr McInroy replaced Taylor and he came close to adding to Celtic’s lead in the 62nd minute with a shot deflected narrowly wide of Doohan’s right-hand post.
County did enjoy a good spell in which Oli Shaw dragged a chance wide, before Bain made a trio of decent saves to deny Josh Reid, Harry Erwin and substitute Ross Stewart in quick succession, but it was a satisfactory day’s work for Lennon.
Celtic beat Ross County in first pre-season outing at Paradise
http://www.celticfc.net/news/18353
By: Paul Cuddihy on 26 Jul, 2020 14:25
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Pre-season friendly
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Celtic Park
CELTIC…2
(Donaldson og 2, Elyounoussi 14)
ROSS COUNTY…0
NEIL Lennon’s side returned to Paradise for the first time since March 7, beating Ross County 2-0 in a pre-season friendly. It was the first of a double-header against Scottish opposition for the Hoops, with Hibernian the visitors on Monday as preparations continue for the start of the 2020/21 Premiership season next weekend.
Much has happened in the intervening 141 days, most notably Celtic’s confirmation as champions for the ninth consecutive season, and after three tough matches in France, it was good to be back home.
And it took Celtic just two minutes to open the scoring, though it came courtesy of an own goal. Greg Taylor’s dangerous cross into the box from the left-hand side was sliced by County defender, Coll Donaldson, the ball looping up and over the keeper and into the back of the net.
Neil Lennon’s side were using both flanks to good effect, with both Taylor and Jeremie Frimpong causing the Highland side problems.
And it was the young Dutch defender who provided the second goal on 14 minutes. He combined well with James Forrest down the right-hand side before cutting the ball across the area for Mohamed Elyounoussi to slot the ball home from 15 yards out.
Celtic were moving the ball around the pitch with confidence and speed and almost netted a third just three minutes later. Again, Frimpong was the provider, sliding the ball into the path of Forrest, but his goalbound shot a slight deflection off a County defender and came crashing back off the bar.
Just a minute later, Frimpong had his own chance to score following good work across the edge of the 18-yard box from Elyounoussi. The Norwegian laid the ball into the path of Frimpong but the visitors’ goalkeeper was quick off his line to make the save.
It took Ross County until just before the half-hour mark to carve out an opening, but Connor Randall’s 25-yard shot was comfortably held by Scott Bain.
Celtic had further chances to score in the opening 45 minutes. Forrest fashioned an opportunity with some tricky wing play, but his floated cross into the box was headed over by Elyounoussi. Then Jullien couldn’t connect at the back post from a Ryan Christie free-kick following a bad foul on Taylor in the 36th minute by Randall which, regardless of the game being a friendly, should have merited at least a yellow card.
The Celtic left-back was soon substituted with two minutes of the first-half remaining after failing to run off the injury he received, with Kerr McInroy slotting in at left-back.
Five minutes after the break, Celtic came close to extending their lead when Christie was set up by Forrest, but the County goalkeeper denied the Celtic attacker a goal. And Christie came close again minutes later, but his right-foot shot went wide of the post.
Neil Lennon’s side created a number of half-chances, with both Chris Jullien and then Forrest volleying wide of target in quick succession. Christie came close again on 67 minutes, cutting in from the right, but his left-foot shot was saved and then scrambled to safety.
Two minutes later, Ross County had their first chance of the second half. Harry Paton latched on to the ball after a Frimpong slip-up and laid the ball back to Oli Shaw on the edge of the box, but his shot went wide.
And on 76 minutes Josh Reid came even closer, but his left-foot shot from inside the box was turned round the post by Scott Bain, who quickly followed that up with another two saves, to deny Lee Erwin and then substitute Ross Stewart, who both had efforts from outside the area.
At the other end, Odsonne Edouard’s shot from eight yards out was deflected over the bar for a Celtic corner. And with three minutes later, Forrest, now playing on the left flank, had a shot from just inside the area well saved.
CELTIC: Bain, Frimpong, Jullien, Ajer, Taylor (McInroy 43), Brown, McGregor, Forrest, Christie, Elyounoussi, Edouard.
Subs: Hazard, Klimala, Connell, Welsh, Dembele
ROSS COUNTY: Trialist, Randall, Red, Iacovitti, Donaldson, Vigurs (Mackinnon 88), Charles-Cook, Draper (Stewart 76), Shaw (Wright 88), Erwin, Paton.
Subs: Munro, Williamson, Kelly.
Celtic 2-0 Ross County: Mohamed Elyounoussi on target in behind-closed-doors win
Watch Celtic vs Hamilton on Sunday August 2, live on Sky Sports Football; Kick-off 4.30pm
By PA Media
Last Updated: 26/07/20 4:12pm
Mohamed Elyounoussi (right) helped Celtic to a 2-0 win over Ross County
Mohamed Elyounoussi (right) helped Celtic to a 2-0 win over Ross County
Celtic pumped crowd noise into their stadium as they beat Ross County 2-0 in a closed-door friendly on Sunday.
An early own goal from Coll Donaldson and Mohamed Elyounoussi’s smart finish gave Celtic a winning return to Parkhead as they warm up for next weekend’s Scottish Premiership kick-off.
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However, there was an injury blow for manager Neil Lennon when left-back Greg Taylor could not continue after receiving treatment just before half-time.
Celtic vs Hamilton
August 2, 2020, 3:30pm
Live on Sky Sports Football HD
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After several friendlies in front of sparse, socially-distanced crowds in France, the Scottish champions gave their players a taste of closed-door action against their Premiership rivals.
The crowd noise over the PA system was a constant back-drop and included Celtic songs, cheers for the goals and ‘oohs’ for near misses.
Elyounoussi’s smart finish and an own goal from Coll Donaldson handed Neil Lennon’s side victory
Elyounoussi’s smart finish and an own goal from Coll Donaldson handed Neil Lennon’s side victory
Lennon started with a strong team which could line up against Hamilton next Sunday after Celtic unfurl the league flag. Scott Brown was back in midfield after missing the midweek defeat by Paris Saint-Germain with a minor injury.
There was no place for Leigh Griffiths on the bench after he missed the French trip to work on his fitness but Celtic also host Hibernian in a friendly on Monday.
Celtic kicked off following a socially-distanced huddle and the first recorded cheer came inside three minutes as the hosts took the lead.
Donaldson sliced Taylor’s low cross over the head of his team’s trialist goalkeeper, Ross Doohan, the 22-year-old Celtic player who spent the last two seasons on loan with Ayr.
Celtic face Hibernian in another friendly on Monday before the start of the Premiership season
Celtic face Hibernian in another friendly on Monday before the start of the Premiership season
Elyounoussi netted 10 minutes later following Jeremie Frimpong’s cut-back and James Forrest soon saw a deflected effort hit the bar.
Christopher Jullien passed up some half-chances from set-pieces and there were also some chances for County, who started with an entirely different 11 to the team that drew 2-2 with Livingston 24 hours earlier.
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Oli Shaw missed the target from their best opening and Scott Bain saved from Josh Reid, Lee Erwin and substitute Ross Stewart.
While there was little trouble on the park for Celtic, some teething problems were apparent in their streaming service as more than 30,000 season-ticket holders logged on to watch the action. The club apologised to fans and later claimed the problem had been resolved.
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