Celtic overcame Ross County 2-1 in the Scottish Premiership today, after which Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers expressed delight with his side's performance.
Travelling to Dingwall just a few days after the visitors' humbling to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, Celtic's return to form was a welcomed one for the Irishman – whose side have now won seven from seven in the league so far.
The win was hardly straightforward when, against the run of play, Ross County fired themselves in front from the spot ahead of half-time – Ronan Hale doing so after two attempts; Kasper Schmeichel having saved the first, but correctly deemed to have prematurely moved from his line.
It took until the final quarter-hour before Celtic pulled level when Alistair Johnston turned in a Callum McGregor shot a few yards from goal, before Nicolas Kuhn sealed the win in the 87th minute.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, the Celtic manager said: "We were a bit slow in the first half. No movement, no penetration, no speed on the ball, so there wasn't a lot happening. We had the ball but weren't doing enough with it. Ross County had good organisation and were happy to not have it. But the onus is on us to be more creative. That wasn't the case.
"We went down and we had to show our mentality and resilience. Second half, we gave it 10 minutes, and brought the energy into the game. I thought those guys were fantastic.
"We get a bit of luck with the first goal, and we scored a fantastic second goal. Good lessons there, there's no easy games, especially after European games. But a very good win for us against a team that's very well organised and tough to break down.
"Second half, though, the guys coming into the game – Paulo and Luke – they were outstanding. They were flexible on the ball, they showed good movement, Kyogo came in and stretched the lines, Jamesy had quality. We had the means to affect the game and thankfully that worked for us."
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Rodgers added: "Kuhn's contribution has been huge. He's been a consistent player for us and say a young player who's improving. It was a great finish and great pass from Ali just in behind the centre-half. Kuhn cuts inside – he had a choice to play, but thankfully he didn't – but he stays on it and you see his confidence and it's a wonderful finish. I thought we deserved it over the course of the game.
"The players showed a magnificent response, so we were able to get the result. We've got some of the players going away internationally, and the game in Sligo on Wednesday, and some players will recover. We'll then get back and get excited about a busy period again."
