Celtic vs Ross County. Scottish Premiership.
Celtic ParkAttendance58,772.
Match report as Celtic beat Ross County 4-2; David Turnbull opened the scoring from the penalty spot; Kyogo doubled the lead before Turnbull made it 3-0 before half-time; Jordan White pulled a goal back for County; Matt O'Riley scored Celtic's fourth; James Brown scored a late consolation
Sunday 6 August 2023 07:16, UK
David Turnbull scored the first goal of the new Scottish Premiership season as Champions Celtic made a winning start under Brendan Rodgers.
The midfielder was a surprise start ahead of Reo Hatate in Rodgers' first competitive game since returning to Parkhead and wasted no time in showing why deserved it.
He slammed the ball in from the penalty spot after Josh Sims tripped Greg Taylor in the box.
Kyogo Furuhashi fired in for 2-0 before Turnbull found himself perfectly placed to convert Matt O'Riley's brilliant cross before the break.
Jordan White headed in to reduce the deficit, but Matt O'Riley smashed Celtic's fourth to ensure a winning start for Rodgers before James Brown replied for County with the last kick.
The County players and manager Malky Mackay gave the champions a guard of honour as they entered the field before Celtic substitute James Forrest raised the league flag.
The visitors did not stand back when the whistle blew. Mackay's side got forward in numbers and had an early chance when both Simon Murray and Josh Sims were unable to turn home from close range.
Murray then turned inside Anthony Ralston before being denied by a Cameron Carter-Vickers block.
Ralston looked rusty early on after missing much of pre-season and his lofted back pass put Joe Hart under pressure. The goalkeeper chested the ball down before being dispossessed by Murray, who stumbled and ran the ball out before appealing in vain for a penalty.
Celtic soon had a spot-kick after Sims caught Greg Taylor as the left-back latched onto a bouncing ball. Turnbull sent Ross Laidlaw the wrong way to open the scoring 17 minutes into the season.
The goalscorer was involved as Celtic doubled their lead in the 26th minute, heading the ball on following Ralston's clearance to leave County exposed. Celtic punished them clinically as Furuhashi swept home Liel Abada's pass.
Turnbull was denied by a double save from Laidlaw after being played through by the Japanese striker, but he soon got his second goal in the 42nd minute.
O'Riley played a one-two with Furuhashi and stood the ball up to the back post where the former Motherwell midfielder found the roof of the net.
Celtic dominated the opening stages of the second half and Laidlaw made a double stop from O'Riley and Daizen Maeda.
But County made their eighth corner of the game count on the hour mark when White sent a looping header into the top corner from Yan Dhanda's inswinging delivery.
Hatate replaced Turnbull and Carl Starfelt came on before O'Riley blasted a right-footed shot high into the net after Furuhashi's first-time through-ball in the 73rd minute.
Some heavy touches from Furuhashi twice cost him the chance to add to Celtic's tally before Odin Thiago Holm and Yang Hyun-jun came on for their competitive debuts.
Yang played an impressive part in a sweeping counter-attack which ended with Laidlaw making an excellent stop from Forrest.
County got reward for continuing to commit forward when James Brown fired home in the fifth minute of stoppage time when his shot went in off Starfelt's leg.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports he is expecting improvement from his players as he revealed Carl Starfelt is set to leave the club...
"We were slow to start then I thought we had some really good moments with the ball, but we need to be much better against the ball. We conceded two goals where we have to be better and some half chances, especially in the first half.
"It's never going to be perfect, what is important is to win and when we played well we showed some great moments and collectively we'll get better.
"It's just the time of the season and players still finding their fitness and guys getting up to speed.
"David (Turnbull) is very efficient, his penalty was very cool then he gets in at the back post and finishes from Matt O'Riley and he should have had another one. That's Dave's game, he's very good on the ball and his timing is very good and he can finish.
"Carl (Starfelt) could leave, hence the reason for not starting him. He's obviously been a fantastic servant here and he's a great guy, but there are reasons why he might want to move on.
Ross County boss Malky Mackay told Sky Sports there were plenty of positives, despite the defeat...
"Obviously we know Celtic are clinical and we spoke before the game that we would get chances.
"I've said before if that had been a European team possibly or international team playing against Celtic we could have scored maybe two goals in the first 15 minutes, but we don't and that's where people's downfall is against Celtic.
"I thought the boys played to the way that I asked them to play, in the structure asked and they play in the way that Celtic's patterns would be.
"Coming in 3-0 half-time is a point where you go 'I can't believe we're 3-0 down at half-time' but in the same token, I know how they play.
"At half-time, the message was go out and score a goal, but I know 3-0 at half-time here can go on six and seven. It didn't and we go and win the second half 2-1. So that's something for the boys to actually look at and I thought we were brave second half in the way we pressed them.
"They're a quality team but we're not challenging Celtic this season, that's not where my league is but what I've got to do is make sure that my new guys take heart from that, work harder and look at next week."
Stiliyan Petrov on Sky Sports:
"There are a few questions out there. Celtic were not at their best, I think we got spoiled the last two seasons.
"But it is a new era now and it will take a little bit longer from the manager to put across his beliefs and what he is trying to do.
"We have seen a couple of different things, we have seen more play through the middle, not much with the wingers, we have not really seen either Abada or Maeda really active today.
"Everything went through the middle, O'Riley and Turnbull were both really good today, while Kyogo also had an outstanding game, but in a different way - he was dropping deeper, playing in different positions, it seems like he wants to go and enjoy the game more, the ball was not getting much to him so he has to go and drag himself to the ball.
"So we have seen a completely different Celtic today, but I think Rodgers will be happy overall with the win and the four goals, but there are still question marks there on certain things.
"We see second half, much better Celtic, Yang looked quote impressive when he came on, he looks different, he tried to take people on, and we also saw Maeda in a different position now, which he has been used in throughout the preseason.
"But having Kyogo up there, we saw in one brilliant pass what he can create, because that is what he is good at, in the box and outside the box.
"But overall, with the three points and to start the season with a 4-2 win, I think Rodgers will be really happy."
Celtic are away to Aberdeen in their next Scottish Premiership match on August 13, live on Sky Sports. The match kicks off at midday.
Ross County host St Johnstone on August 12, kick-off 3pm.
