Ross County manager Stuart Kettlewell has delivered a revealing assessment of his side’s 2-0 victory over Celtic B, admitting the Highlanders could have scored considerably more despite being unhappy with aspects of their performance.

The comments make uncomfortable reading for Celtic, particularly with expensive summer signing Joël van den Berg and Chelsea loanees Landon Emenalo and Shumaira Mheuka all featuring in the defeat.

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Speaking to Ross County TV, Kettlewell admitted his side had struggled to execute their game plan during the opening 45 minutes.

“We were a bit frustrated at half-time because we didn’t feel we’d handled the ball particularly well and we didn’t think we’d quite got our pressing right.”

Despite those frustrations, County created numerous opportunities while restricting Celtic’s attacking threat.

Kettlewell added: “We also had three, four or five other good opportunities, hit the woodwork a couple of times and, despite not playing as well as we would have liked, still created plenty of chances while limiting Celtic to very little.”

His assessment is particularly concerning given the experience and investment represented within Celtic’s starting XI.

Van den Berg, who arrived from PSV for a reported £3.5million, was among those handed an opportunity to impress.

Chelsea youngsters Emenalo and Mheuka also started, with all three withdrawn in the 72nd minute.

The trio’s involvement attracted additional attention because of O’Neill’s presence alongside two members of his coaching staff.

Although Kettlewell praised Celtic’s technical ability, his comments about County’s dominance highlighted the difficulties the young Hoops encountered.

“Their young goalkeeper made some outstanding saves and, on another night, we probably score a few more goals. We hit the woodwork again and had numerous efforts on goal.”

Despite the one-sided nature of the opportunities, Kettlewell was complimentary about the opposition.

“You have to give credit to Celtic. They’re a young side, but they’re a good side. They’ve brought in players from elsewhere and have talented homegrown players as well.”

While the manager’s comments were not directed at any individual, the collective performance raises questions about how effectively Celtic’s more high-profile youngsters are developing.

For Van den Berg, Emenalo and Mheuka, Tuesday’s match provided another opportunity for competitive minutes in front of the senior coaching staff.

With O’Neill looking to assess the options available across the club, it was a difficult evening for a Celtic B side that struggled to contain their opponents despite County’s own frustrations with their performance.

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