Postecoglou sets challenge for title-chasing Celtic after Ross County win

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou refuted claims his side has lost momentum following their Scottish Cup semi-final defeat at the hand of Rangers.

The Hoops bounced back from their Hampden Park loss in the best possible way as they moved six points clear of their Old Firm rivals with a 2-0 win at Ross County on Sunday afternoon.

Goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota saw off a dogged Staggies side and moved the Hoops a step closer to securing the SPL title over the coming weeks.

Next on the agenda is a potential title decider against Rangers at Celtic Park next weekend - and Postecoglou has issued a stern challenge to his players as preparations for the final Old Firm clash of the season get underway.

“We have never lost the momentum,” he told Sky Sports.

“We lost a cup semi-final in extra-time.

“Our momentum has been very good for a very long time.

“We sit where we sit and from our perspective, it wasn’t about a reaction to last week.

“We were disappointed, but it didn’t really affect anything that’s happened in the league.

“What’s important for us is that we continue our good form.”

Postecolgou praised his side for their “strong performance” in the win over Ross County.

However, the Hoops coach felt his side could have made life easier for themselves after they had to wait until three minutes from time to secure the win when Jota netted their second goal of the game.

“It was a strong performance and we know it’s a difficult place to come and play.

“They are a hard team to break down and we probably should have put them away in the first-half to be fair.

“We had enough opportunities.

“To put in a strong performance, which we needed to today, I thought the boys did well.”