Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston scored the only goal of his side’s pivotal 1-0 victory over Ross County on Saturday. When his deflected strike bobbled over the line inside the opening two minutes, the overall consensus within the ground was that there would be many more to come.
That wasn’t to be the case, however. Luis Palma’s penalty scandal, combined with some notable misses from Paulo Bernardo and Cameron Carter-Vickers, ensured the Hoops went home with just a one-goal victory.
Although sections of the home support weren’t pleased with the performance of the champions, Johnston was. The Canadian international bagged only his second goal in green and white in the game. This, along with a clean sheet, made for a productive afternoon for the defender.
Post-match, Johnston talked through his goal. He seemed surprised at how early it was: “I need to see the time on the clock again”, he said (Glasgow Times).
“It felt quick. I’ll take that. It wasn’t pretty but none of mine ever will be. So getting one was nice as was getting the quick start which could have kickstarted a better result.”
This season, many fans have criticised Johnston, claiming his form has dropped off from 2022/23. Such a fact has been evident in some of his performances but on Saturday, he was adequate.
The 25-year-old claimed after the game he couldn’t have done much more: “A clean sheet at home after scoring in the first minute, you can’t ask for more than that.”
