Nicholas Kuhn and James ForrestSNS
Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

Celtic "showed a great resilience and mentality" to come from behind against Ross County and maintain their 100% start to the Scottish Premiership season.

Manager Brendan Rodgers had asked for his players to “bounce back even higher” from their midweek Champions League dismantling by Borussia Dortmund.

But Celtic barely got off the ground for the first 70 minutes, and were given a lesson by County on how to set up against a superior side.

"We looked like we wanted an easy game in the first half and that's not what this team's about," Rodgers told BBC Scotland.

"We deserved to win the game but we want to win it in the best way, and first half we didn't quite do that."

Instead, County's resoluteness, discipline and ability to capitalise on their visitors' slackness, was gilded by Ronan Hale's first-half penalty.

Michee Efete’s cross hit the arm of Liam Scales and, after being summoned for a brief look at the monitor, Kevin Clancy pointed to the spot.

Hale's first attempt was soft and comfortably parried by Kasper Schmeichel, but the goalkeeper was deemed to have moved too early.

So the Country striker stepped up again and, this time, scored his seventh goal since signing in the summer.

Celtic had yet to concede in the league this season, but when they did in the League Cup against Hibernian and Falkirk, it sparked something and they cantered away.

That wasn’t the case here.

Despite their utter dominance - 82% overall - the reigning champions had registered just three shots on target before Callum McGregor's fierce shot battered off Alistair Johnston and flashed in for the equaliser.

But even when they are far from their best, Celtic just seem to find a way and there was an inevitably about their winner.

County were sliced open by one Johnston pass from deep and Nicolas Kuhn blistered down the right and rippled the far side of the net with a sweet strike.

Dingwall made as daunting as Dortmund

It’s the old cliche, but County’s season won’t be defined by results against Celtic and Rangers. Instead, they must look at their own performance.

Don Cowie's side made it stuffy and uncomfortable for Celtic, who until they made changes, failed to carve them open or even remotely test goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw.

The County midfield didn't allow their visitors to find their usual rhythm and Connor Randall and Elijah Campbell impressed in cutting out any danger.

In second half, when you'd expect Celtic to throw all their might, muscle and money at it, Jordan White worked tirelessly to act as an out for the hard-working defence and midfield.

Which is why the winner will hurt County so dearly. Down at their corner flag, Celtic recovered possession and made their way up the park in an instant.

County have now lost seven points from winning positions this season, more than any other Premiership side. That is something they must address.

But it was an afternoon were Cowie's side made Dingwall almost as daunting as Dortmund for Celtic, and there's plenty to take from that.

Belief, belief, belief

While their performance in Germany took a battering, Celtic’s belief did not. Even though not cutting County apart, there was a sense the winner would come.

The dominance was not on show in the first half, but in the second it was one-way traffic, though it just wasn't filtering into the final third.

Through substitutions and words at the break, Rodgers' side grasped the game.

Kuhn will grab the headlines as his strong start to the season continues - he now has 14 goal contributions - but Kyogo, James Forrest and Paulo Bernardo injected some much needed invention in an otherwise uncreative Celtic side.

Arne Engels did not shine, while Reo Hatate and Adam Idah failed to make a real impact after their midweek benching.

However, after a relentless run of fixtures, the champions can head into the international break with their unbeaten start in tact.

What they said

Brendan Rodgers: 'Seven games in 23 days and we've won six'

Ross County manager Don Cowie: "It's disappointing when you put that much effort in. But I still see plenty of positives.

"We're playing against a massive team with a massive budget compared to what we have. How do we compete against that? It's about good organisation and working hard, and I saw that in abundance.

"When you come away with nothing and you see no reward, it's sore. It's up to me to remind them of how good they were as a unit."

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "I've got to be pleased. Seven games in 23 days and we've won six playing absolutely fantastic. We've lost one, against the Champions League finalists, which we will learn from."

"We showed a great resilience and mentality in the second half. The first half was very slow, too passive, no real tempo in it. Second half, we were very good."

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