Scottish Premiership: Celtic and Aberdeen stay perfect with late winners | Scottish Premiership

Nicolas Kühn grabbed a late winner as Celtic got here from behind to win 2-1 at Ross County. The winger struck his sixth aim of the season in an 88th-minute counterattack to take care of Celtic’s good begin to the league season.

Ronan Hale grew to become the primary participant to attain towards Celtic within the Premiership when he transformed a retaken penalty within the forty second minute after a VAR-assisted handball determination towards Liam Scales.

The champions had struggled to interrupt County down however their efforts have been rewarded when Alistair Johnston acquired the ultimate contact after a 76th-minute nook and Kühn continued his spectacular begin by having the ultimate say. The German was despatched operating down the proper by Johnston’s looking out go and lower inside a defender earlier than curling the ball contained in the far put up.

Álex Valle, Reo Hatate and Adam Idah had come into the Celtic workforce after their 7-1 defeat by Borussia Dortmund. Brendan Rodgers’ aspect had 80% of first-half possession however Kasper Schmeichel was the busier goalkeeper.

It was all Celtic within the opening levels however there have been few clear probabilities and Elijah Campbell made an excellent last-ditch problem to stop Kühn changing Daizen Maeda’s sq. ball. Schmeichel needed to get down effectively to disclaim Hale after an extended ball and Noah Chilvers got here shut from the rebound.

The important thing first-half second got here when Michee Efete’s cross hit the raised arm of Scales and Kevin Clancy pointed to the spot after being known as to the monitor by the video assistant, Nick Walsh.

Schmeichel dived to his proper to cease the spot-kick however Clancy ordered a retake after phrase from the VAR headquarters that the Celtic keeper was effectively off his line and Hale then fired an unstoppable penalty into the underside nook. It was the Belfast-born ahead’s seventh aim in 11 matches since becoming a member of from Cliftonville.

There have been scares for Celtic both aspect of the interval. Schmeichel spilled Josh Nisbet’s shot nevertheless it squirmed large and Hale got here near chipping the goalkeeper from 40 yards after Johnston had given possession to County close to the centre circle in his personal half. The striker’s effort sailed over the keeper’s head however drifted simply off track.

County have been nonetheless making life tough for Celtic’s attackers and Callum McGregor tried to take issues into his personal fingers by bursting into the field, however he positioned his shot simply large. Ross Laidlaw had his first check following Maeda’s one-two with Hatate and the goalkeeper saved from shut vary with the assistance of Efete’s lunging deal with.

Celtic’s substitutes added some impetus and the strain advised after Paulo Bernardo’s nook. Laidlaw saved out Kyogo Furuhashi’s flick however was overwhelmed when McGregor’s follow-up diverted off Johnston.

Celtic went in search of the winner and Kühn supplied it earlier than escaping a second yellow card after operating into the away followers to have fun whereas already on a reserving after an earlier conflict with Connor Randall.

Aberdeen additionally left it late to see off 10-man Hearts 3-2 at Pittodrie and keep their very own 100% begin. The Dons took an early lead by Topi Keskinen’s deflected effort, earlier than Frankie Kent headedan equaliser earlier than the break. Hearts went forward simply after the hour by a effective curling effort from Blair Spittal, however the defender Nicky Devlin quickly had Aberdeen degree once more earlier than the Hearts midfielder Jorge Grant was despatched off with quarter-hour left for a second warning.

Simply when it appeared just like the guests would maintain out for some extent, the Croatian midfielder Ante Palaversa drilled in his first Aberdeen aim with a few minutes left.

Vaclav Cerny scored in every half and the returning Ianis Hagi was despatched off so as to add some late drama to Rangers’ 2-0 victory over St Johnstone at Ibrox. An achieved end by Cerny broke the impasse within the thirty fourth minute and the winger added a second within the 58th minute earlier than Hagi’s late dismissal.

The Romania midfielder, again within the squad for the primary time this season after a contract concern was resolved, got here off the bench for the second half and was booked for a foul on Benjamin Kimpioka within the eightieth minute earlier than a VAR test prompted the referee, David Dickinson, to indicate a purple card.