Match ends, Celtic 1, Ross County 1.
Celtic 1-1 Ross County
By Alasdair Lamont
BBC Scotland's senior football reporter at Celtic Park
- From the section Football
Celtic celebrated a third successive league title, having been unable to deliver the type of result that has secured the Scottish Premiership.
Ross County must take credit for that, putting on a confident, bullish performance to earn a point.
Melvin de Leeuw fired them into an early lead, with a cool low finish.
Kris Commons knocked in the equaliser but despite spending most of the second half in the County half, Celtic were unable to find a winner.
It wasn't a bad performance by the champions, though it perhaps lacked the spark that might have been evident had there been more riding on the outcome.
Their bright start to the match yielded nothing in the way of goals and Ross County showed a considerably more clinical edge by burying their first opportunity of the afternoon.
Graham Carey took advantage of slack play by Celtic inside their own half and the former Celtic player timed his pass to De Leeuw perfectly, allowing the striker to drill a shot low past Fraser Forster.
At this stage County did look like a side for whom the result mattered more, belying their status as a team fighting to avoid a relegation play-off.
But Celtic's front three of Leigh Griffiths, Anthony Stokes and Commons always looked capable of creating problems for the visitors' backline and so it was with the equaliser.
Griffiths was allowed time to line up a long-range shot and when it was spilled by Mark Brown, Commons - as he has been so often this season - was on hand to turn the rebound into the net.
And Griffiths might have given Celtic the lead before the interval, but for a timely challenge from Erik Cikos to divert the striker's shot over the bar.
Liam Henderson scored his first Celtic goal in the victory over Partick Thistle on Wednesday and almost doubled that tally at the outset of the second half.
Stefan Johansen had an age to pick him out at the back post but Henderson's header from a tight angle bounced back off the upright.
Celtic were utterly dominant possession-wise, but County were defending stoutly and offering the odd counter-attack to ensure the home fans' celebrations were kept on hold.
Indeed Carey almost dampened those celebrations further with a typically ambitious and venomous effort from 30 yards. With Forster flying to his right, the keeper would have been relieved to see the ball ricochet off the post.
Line-ups
Celtic
- 1Forster
- 4Ambrose
- 3Izaguirre
- 8Brown
- 34O'ConnellSubstituted forKayalat 73'minutes
- 5van Dijk
- 53Henderson
- 25JohansenBooked at 86mins
- 28GriffithsSubstituted forPukkiat 79'minutes
- 15CommonsSubstituted forSamarasat 67'minutes
- 10Stokes
Substitutes
- 9Samaras
- 17Balde
- 20Pukki
- 24Zaluska
- 31Herron
- 33Kayal
- 44Fraser
Ross County
- 1Brown
- 2Cikos
- 26OikonomouBooked at 84mins
- 8Brittain
- 5BoydBooked at 56mins
- 28Songo'o
- 7Kiss
- 12TidserSubstituted forGordonat 87'minutes
- 27ArquinSubstituted forSaundersat 87'minutes
- 11De LeeuwSubstituted forSlewat 72'minutes
- 23Carey
Substitutes
- 3Gordon
- 10Quinn
- 15Glen
- 21McLean
- 22Saunders
- 25Slew
- 42McCarthy
- Referee:
- John Beaton
- Attendance:
- 49,270
Match Stats
Home TeamCelticAway TeamRoss County
- Possession
- Home57%
- Away43%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away1
- Corners
- Home7
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home16
- Away9
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Celtic 1, Ross County 1.
Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Celtic).
Scott Boyd (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Evangelos Oikonomou (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Attempt saved. Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Substitution
Substitution, Ross County. Ben Gordon replaces Michael Tidser.
Substitution
Substitution, Ross County. Steven Saunders replaces Yoann Arquin.
Booking
Stefan Johansen (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.
Michael Tidser (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Stefan Johansen (Celtic).
Foul by Georgios Samaras (Celtic).
Scott Boyd (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Booking
Evangelos Oikonomou (Ross County) is shown the yellow card.
Liam Henderson (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Evangelos Oikonomou (Ross County).
Graham Carey (Ross County) hits the left post with a right footed shot from outside the box.
Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Yoann Arquin (Ross County).
Substitution
Substitution, Celtic. Teemu Pukki replaces Leigh Griffiths.
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Beram Kayal.
Attempt missed. Liam Henderson (Celtic) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Foul by Anthony Stokes (Celtic).
Richard Brittain (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Celtic. Beram Kayal replaces Eoghan O'Connell.
Substitution
Substitution, Ross County. Jordan Slew replaces Melvin De Leeuw.
Foul by Liam Henderson (Celtic).
Michael Tidser (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Georgios Samaras (Celtic).
Erik Cikos (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Liam Henderson (Celtic).
Melvin De Leeuw (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Celtic. Georgios Samaras replaces Kris Commons.
Attempt missed. Liam Henderson (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Foul by Leigh Griffiths (Celtic).
Erik Cikos (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Yann Songo'o.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Yann Songo'o.
Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Yoann Arquin.
Booking
Scott Boyd (Ross County) is shown the yellow card.