Red-hot Ronan Hale aims to remain on the Ross County goal trail after refusing to fall for Kasper Schmeichel’s mind games. The Staggies striker notched number seven for the season in his third game on the bounce when he drilled a spot-kick beyond the Celtic keeper at the second attempt.
Hale showed nerves of steel after Schmeichel saved his first effort but was caught creeping off his line. There was no mistake for the re-hit and the striker was thrilled to get the better of the Dane despite attempts to noise him up.
Schmeichel roughed up the penalty spot and then tried to talk the Northern Irish star out his spot-kick. But boyhood Hoops fan Hale shut out the wind-ups to bury his effort to cause Celts a major scare until the late fightback sealed the points for the Premiership champs.
The County hitman said: “I don’t know who did it (to the spot) but there was a lot of kicking around and there was a divot beside it.