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Shane Duffy delivered a delicious debut goal when Celtic defeated Ross County 5-0 in the Scottish Premiership clash at Global Energy Stadium.
In front of 300 socially estranged local fans allowed as a test event for returning soccer fans, Hoops Odsonne forward Edouard scored from the point in the fourth minute before her attacking partner Albian Ajeti.
making his first outing for the visitors, he added a second.
The county had created more starts than their share in the first half, but ran out of chances just before the hour when Republic of Ireland defender Duffy, the Brighton-loaned signing, headed in from a corner.
The goal comes just over a week after a similar effort against Bulgaria in Stephen Kenny’s first game in charge of Ireland.
Defender Kristoffer Ajer scored a fourth before substitute Patryk Klimala added a fifth to put Neil Lennon’s team six points behind leading Rangers with two games in hand.
Later, Neil Lennon claimed that Duffy looked “incomparable” while playing his first club soccer since July.
Lennon said: “Shane had both games for Ireland that will have done him a lot of good.
“He hadn’t played so much football. The same with Ajeti, he needed a career and today he scored a great forward goal.”
“Shane, we all know what the club means to him, but scoring on his debut was great. I think after the goal he was incomparable, just exceptional.
“That will give him a lot of confidence. He is getting used to us, to our style of play and we are getting used to him. But it has been a good day at work for him.”
While Lennon opted for a back three from Duffy, Ajer and Christopher Jullien, it was Ajeti, starting alongside Edouard, who made his mark early on.
The small band of Staggies fans sat quietly as referee Andrew Dallas pointed to the spot after the French forward fell to the ground inside the box after what looked like a jerk from defender Jordan Tillson, back to the side with Josh Reid. and Harry Paton.
Hoops’ forward, returning from a thigh injury, launched the kick from the spot in the corner of the net.
The response from the county was positive. Captain Iain Vigurs had a pair of dangerous free throws from afar, the first one saved by Parkhead goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas, the second bouncing off the post (Barkas could have been hit) and then defender Connor Randall came close with a shot that just went away. large.
FULL MATCH DETAILS
But then Celtic doubled their lead. The Staggies defense failed to clear Callum McGregor’s free kick from the left and Ajeti jumped up to shoot Laidlaw from eight yards for his third Celtic goal since signing from West Ham.
Still, the home team continued to find gaps.
A cross pass from forward Billy Mckay from the left at the half-hour mark was received at the back post by Ross Stewart and his header crossed the goal until Barkas reached out to snatch the ball from him.
County, who had replaced the injured Mckay with Oli Shaw in the first half, had another chance to score early in the second half after Laidlaw saved McGregor’s effort from a distance.
Stewart found time and space inside the box, but his shot was too close to Barkas.
However, the most basic of goals in the 59th minute, a powerful header by Duffy from a McGregor corner, effectively sealed the points for Celtic.
Five minutes later, Ajer added a quarter on a touch from an Olivier Ntcham pass and it turned into a walk.
Klimala, instead of Ajeti, should have made the five, but his shot was blocked on the line by defender Alex Iacovitti, but the Polish forward scored his goal in the 76th minute when he crashed the ball after being set up by his substitute teammate. Mohamed Elyounoussi. .
Before that, Dallas ignored a handball penalty claim for the county after Barkas made another good save in the middle of a close-range melee.
There were late substitutions and one of the newcomers, David Turnbull, recently signed by Motherwell, replaced Scott Brown to make his Celtic debut before Shaw hit a free kick off the Celtic post, summing up County’s day.
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