Ross County 0-2 Celtic: Nine-point Scottish Premiership lead restored after stiff test

The shot struck the limb of Alex Iacovitti (right) arsenic helium challenged Cameron Carter-Vickers

Celtic restored their nine-point pb astatine the apical of the Scottish Premiership by overcoming lively Ross County.

That forced Malky Mackay's broadside to onslaught successful a 2nd 45 minutes during which some sides had chances.

With County down to 10 men pursuing a Ross Callachan injury, Alexandro Bernabei fired a precocious settler.

It means that Ange Postecoglou's broadside caput into Saturday's derby astatine location to second-top Rangers with 15 consecutive victories since the Glasgow rivals drew astatine Ibrox astatine the commencement of January.

An eighth consecutive decision astatine the hands of Celtic leaves County 2nd bottommost of the table, 4 points adrift of Kilmarnock.

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Both manager handed astonishment archetypal starts to different settled sides and, with skipper Keith Watson lone ruled acceptable capable for the bench, Mackay drafted 16-year-old Dylan Smith into the mediate of defence.

It was nary astonishment that the gangly teenager, caller from Scotland Under-17 duty, was rapidly astatine the bosom of enactment arsenic Celtic assumed their expected domination of possession.

As Smith displayed an assurance beyond his years, Tomoki Iwata was controlling play successful his absorption aft the on-loan Yokohama F Marinos midfielder was brought successful to regenerate injured chap Japan planetary Reo Hatate and with skipper Callum McGregor pushed further forward.

The expected Celtic onslaught failed to materialise and, though a blistering Greg Taylor thrust struck the extracurricular of the acold post, it was not until a infinitesimal of County misfortune that the breakthrough came.

With Mackay already heading down the passageway expecting to present a satisfied half-time squad talk, referee Willie Collum was told to cheque a manus shot by Iacovitti arsenic helium challenged rival centre-half Carter-Vickers.

Jota dispatched the resulting spot footwear powerfully down the mediate to alteration the code successful some dressing-rooms.

Whatever was said transformed the crippled into an end-to-end affair, with on-loan Wigan Athletic midfielder Gwion Edwards' debased thrust conscionable wide astatine past providing a location menace earlier Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart had to claw distant a George Harmon header.

Kyogo Furuhashi fired wide with lone Ross Laidlaw to beat, the goalkeeper produced a good treble prevention to contradict replacement striker Oh Hyeon-gyu, who besides fired conscionable wide, portion a Jota onslaught deed the underside of the bar.

However, it was not until Bernabei thunderbolt's recovered the nett heavy into stoppage clip that Celtic fans could enactment easily.

Player of the lucifer - Tomoki Iwata (Celtic)

Midfielder Tomoki Iwata (left) was fixed his archetypal Celtic and commencement and confidently sprayed passes astir arsenic if helium was a mainstay.

More to follow.

What's next?

Celtic big Rangers successful a archetypal versus 2nd derby showdown connected Saturday (12:30 BST), portion Ross County question to look St Johnstone that day (15:00).