Celtic 0-2 Ross County: Dingwall team inflicts Scottish League Cup shock on Lennon’s men

Celtic’s dominance over the Scottish silverware ended, and the pressure has intensified on manager Neil Lennon, after Ross County eliminated them from the League Cup at home.

Having collected all the national trophies since 2017, Celtic have won just two of their last 10 matches. They also can’t progress in Europe and follow Rangers by 11 points in the Scottish Premiership.

Lennon’s team has two games in hand as they try to win a 10th straight league title, but they didn’t win against an impoverished county team they had beaten 5-0 at Dingwall in September.

Stuart Kettlewell’s players fought back like lions and limited Celtic to a few chances as they earned their first win at Celtic Park.

It was Celtic’s first defeat in a national cup since losing to city rivals Rangers in the 2016 Scottish Cup semi-finals, and the county suffered the Glasgow team’s last defeat in the Scottish Cup. League in January of the same year.

And it is the first time that Celtic have suffered four consecutive home losses since January 1958 and subsequently an enraged group of fans gathered outside the stadium to protest.

Celta puffs and puffs, but the county stands firm

With Callum McGregor having a rare break after Thursday’s 4-1 setback to Sparta Prague, the home side was slow in midfield, struggling to knock down well-organized opponents.

When Ryan Christie was brought down by Callum Morris just on the edge of the box, Odsonne Edouard’s free kick was parried by Ross Laidlaw, while Tom Rogic then fired wide.

Kristoffer Ajer looked painfully uncomfortable to the left of a three-man Celtic defense, but the county’s first goal came from the other flank when Josh Reid suddenly galloped into a huge open space to cross low into the six-yard box.

Stewart bit off Christopher Jullien at the first post, and the defender grabbed him on the heel. The great striker kept a cool head to shoot his sixth goal of the season from the penalty spot.

Celtic had the perfect opportunity to respond immediately, but Albian Ajeti hit the base of a post from 14 yards while running with a cute Rogic flick.

The county rarely ventured out of its own half after the interval, packing bodies in front of its penalty area. And the tactic worked like a charm, with Celtic puffing and puffing as an effort from Ajer was blocked, Mohamed Elyounoussi headed out and Edouard landed a shot overhead.

The visitors then completed a famous victory when Iacovitti crashed headlong from a corner kick.

What they say

Celtic coach Neil Lennon: “If you keep losing games, there is an expectation in this club, there is a demand for excellence and there is a demand for wins, I am fully aware of that.

“I’m not standing here like the happy clapper saying that everything is fine, because it is not. But we will do everything we can, if I still have the opportunity to do so, to change things. Today’s result would not have helped, put it off. that way “.

Stuart Kettlewell, Ross County Manager: “We are delighted, but the big picture for me is that we have to go through with it. Sometimes you can alter the odds by sticking together and we’ve done it.

“The players have responded to my call. I asked them to stand up and be men and I thought, for a man, they did.”

‘Clearly problems behind the scenes’ – analysis

Former Scotland winger Neil McCann on Sportsound

It seems that Celtic have monumental problems there. I wouldn’t want Neil Lennon to lose his job. Others and I feel that the players have let him down. There is something wrong there, clearly there are problems behind the scenes.

Former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner on Sportsound

The players are not responding to him now. You have to question their attitude. That’s the problem at the moment, a group of players that we were praising and now they have gone so far behind that it is incredible.