Updated at 22.41

NICOLAS KUHN grabbed a late winner as Celtic came from behind to beat Ross County 2-1 in Dingwall.

The winger struck his sixth goal of the season in an 88th-minute counter-attack to maintain Celtic’s perfect start to the league season.

Ex-Ireland U21 international Ronan Hale became the first player to score against Celtic in the William Hill Premiership when he converted a retaken penalty in the 42nd minute following a VAR-assisted handball decision against Liam Scales.

The champions had struggled to break County down. Their efforts were eventually rewarded when Alistair Johnston got the final touch following a 76th-minute corner and Kuhn continued his impressive start to the campaign by having the final say.

The German was sent running down the right by Johnston’s searching pass and he cut inside a defender before curling the ball inside the far post.

Alex Valle, Reo Hatate and Adam Idah had come into the Celtic team following their 7-1 defeat by Borussia Dortmund.

Brendan Rodgers’ side had 80 per cent of first-half possession but Kasper Schmeichel was the busier goalkeeper.

It was all Celtic in the opening stages but there were few clear-cut chances and Elijah Campbell made a brilliant last-ditch challenge to prevent Kuhn from converting Daizen Maeda’s square ball.

Schmeichel had to get down well to deny Hale after a long ball and Noah Chilvers came close from the rebound.

The Celtic goalkeeper made two more comfortable saves from headers and Maeda missed the visitors’ best chance of the half when he sent a free header wide from Johnston’s cross.

The key first-half moment came when Michee Efete’s cross hit the raised arm of Scales and Kevin Clancy ultimately pointed to the spot after being called to the monitor by video assistant Nick Walsh.

Schmeichel did his best to unnerve Hale, who also had to put up with the noise and drumbeat from the travelling fans behind the goal, and the Denmark international dived to his right to stop the spot-kick.

However, Clancy ordered a retake after word came through from the VAR headquarters that the Celtic keeper was well off his line and Hale fired an unstoppable penalty into the bottom corner the second time around. It was the Belfast-born forward’s seventh goal in 11 matches since joining from Cliftonville.

There were scares for Celtic either side of the interval.

Schmeichel spilt Josh Nisbet’s shot but it squirmed wide and Hale came close to chipping the goalkeeper from 40 yards after Johnston had gifted possession to County near the centre circle in his own half. The striker’s effort sailed over the keeper’s head but drifted just off target.

County were still making life difficult for Celtic’s attackers and Callum McGregor tried to take matters into his own hands by bursting into the box, but he placed his shot just wide.

Ross Laidlaw had his first test following Maeda’s one-two with Hatate and the goalkeeper saved from close range with the help of Efete’s lunging tackle.

Celtic’s substitutes added some impetus and the pressure told following Paulo Bernardo’s corner. Laidlaw kept out Kyogo Furuhashi’s flick but was beaten when McGregor’s follow-up diverted off Johnston.

Celtic went looking for the winner and Kuhn provided it before escaping a second yellow card after running into the away fans to celebrate while already on a booking following an earlier clash with Connor Randall.

Elsewhere, Vaclav Cerny scored in each half and returning Ianis Hagi was sent off to add some late drama to Rangers’ 2-0 victory over St Johnstone at Ibrox.

The Light Blues were thumped 4-1 at home by French side Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night and improvement was expected on their return to William Hill Premiership duty but they failed to sparkle.

Simo Valakari viewed his first game as Saints boss from the directors’ box while waiting for a work permit and his side worked hard to keep the Gers at bay until the 34th minute when an accomplished finish by the Czech Republic winger broke the deadlock and he added a second in the 58th minute before the drama with Hagi unfolded.

The Romania midfielder, back in the squad for the first time this season after a contract issue was resolved, came off the bench for the second half and was booked for a foul on Saints striker Benjamin Kimpioka in the 80th minute before a VAR check saw referee David Dickinson flash a red card, leaving the home side a man short for the final minutes.

Philippe Clement’s side saw out the game to go into the international break five points behind Celtic and Aberdeen but it was far from impressive, leaving aside Hagi’s indiscretion.

There was one enforced change from Thursday for Clement after midfielder Tom Lawrence sustained a hamstring injury which ruled him out, while Connor Barron dropped to the bench with Nico Raskin and Ross McCausland coming in.

Valakari watched from the main stand with interim bosses Andy Kirk and Alec Cleland continuing to take charge from the technical area.

Rangers enjoyed plenty of the ball in the early stages and striker Cyriel Dessers headed a corner from skipper James Tavernier over the crossbar in the eighth minute when he ought to have hit the target at least.

Kimpioka was doing a decent job occupying the Gers’ defence but the Govan side kept probing in attack.

Saints defender Jack Sanders then blocked a goal-bound drive from midfielder Mohamed Diomande as the home side kept up the pressure.

However, eventually Rangers got the breakthrough, Cerny sticking the ball through the legs of Sven Sprangler before guiding the ball from 20 yards past goalkeeper Ross Sinclair and into the far corner of the net.

The Czech Republic international, on loan from Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg, celebrated his goal and then ran to the sidelines for a hug from Clement.

There was a huge cheer from the Gers fans when the popular Hagi took over from Ross McCausland at the start of the second half with Connor Barron on for Diomande.

Hagi’s last game was in the League Cup against Morton in August, 2023 before he went on loan to Spanish side Alaves and the Gers fans were looking for inspiration from the playmaker.

And after Saints substitute Cammy MacPherson had conceded possession, he set up Cerny inside the box and he turned St Johnstone defender Lewis Neilson before driving low past Sinclair.

St Johnstone had plenty of attacking options on the pitch and – in the 67th minute – home goalkeeper Jack Butland had to save from Mackenzie Kirk after he had brushed past Ibrox defender Robin Propper, with Kimpioka waiting for a square ball.

Then came the late drama. Hagi was originally booked for a foul on Kimpioka but after being sent to his pitchside monitor, referee Dickinson upgraded the card to red and the Light Blues were left with 10 men.

Former Gers attacker Nicky Clark had the ball in the Rangers net in the 84th minute but was ruled offside, preventing a nervy finish for the home side.