The Daily Star Ireland
Johnny Kenny marked his Celtic debut with a late contribution as the team secured a commanding 4-1 victory over Ross County. Stand-in winger Kyogo Furuhashi shone with a brace, showcasing his versatility in an unfamiliar role.
Furuhashi was shifted to the right flank in the absence of four wide players, including Daizen Maeda, James Forrest, Nicolas Kuhn, and Luis Palma. Despite the positional change, the Japanese forward delivered in front of goal, scoring in both halves.
Ross County briefly equalized through a penalty converted by Jordan White, but Furuhashi restored Celtic’s lead with a header in the 81st minute. Late goals from Arne Engels and substitute Luke McCowan during stoppage time sealed an 18-point lead for Celtic at the top of the William Hill Premiership.
In sub-zero conditions, Celtic’s goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel faced early pressure as Ross County capitalized on a frosty pitch. Though Adam Idah and Alistair Johnston created chances for Celtic, it was Ross County’s Noah Chilvers who missed a golden opportunity after being set up by Josh Nisbet.
Celtic had a penalty shout turned down when Reo Hatate appeared to be impeded by Elijah Campbell, but the referee waved play on. Moments later, Furuhashi opened the scoring in the 40th minute, steering in a precise cross from Johnston after a swift attacking move.
Ross County made tactical changes at halftime, bringing on Kieran Phillips and White, which soon paid dividends. White converted a penalty after Johnston fouled Phillips, leveling the match.
Kenny, fresh off a prolific loan spell at Shamrock Rovers, was introduced by Brendan Rodgers but missed his first opportunity, shooting straight at goalkeeper Jordan Amissah. Celtic regained control when Engels delivered a perfect cross for Furuhashi to head into the top corner despite Amissah’s efforts.
Drama unfolded when Celtic were awarded a penalty after a VAR review determined James Brown had fouled Hyunjun Yang. Engels initially saw his penalty saved, but VAR ruled Amissah had moved off his line, and Engels made no mistake with the retake.
In the dying moments, McCowan capitalized on a deflected ball from Kenny to slot home, adding a final flourish to a decisive Celtic performance.
