BRENDAN RODGERS fielded what amounted to a reserve side for this potentially awkward away tie against Ross County – and still watched Celtic forge further clear at the head of the Ladbrokes Premiership table.

The Parkhead club lived a charmed life at times and could have had no complaints if their dogged hosts had taken something from a game which they contributed greatly to. The emphatic final scoreline was hugely misleading.

But goals from Patrick Roberts early on and Stuart Armstrong, Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele at the end ensured the visitors triumphed comfortably and moved seven points in front of Aberdeen at the head of the table.

Read more: Rodgers predicts Celtic will be in great shape for Pittodrie trip after resting eight regulars for Ross County victoryThe Herald:

Should the defending Scottish champions triumph at Pittodrie on Saturday they will be 10 points in front of their nearest rivals with a game in hand and in a commanding, if not unassailable, position.

Rodgers made no fewer than eight changes to the side which defeated Rangers in the Betfred Cup semi-final on Sunday. Craig Gordon, Mikael Lustig and Erik Sviatchenko all retained their places in the starting line-up. Every other member of the victorious team was rested.

That meant starts for fringe players Cristian Gamboa at right back – Lustig, who captained the side in the absence of Scott Brown, moved inside to centre half – and Emilio Izaguirre on the left side of the defence.

Read more: Rodgers predicts Celtic will be in great shape for Pittodrie trip after resting eight regulars for Ross County victory

In midfield, Armstrong and Callum McGregor took over from Brown and Nir Bitton as the deep-lying midfielders in the 4-2-3-1 formation Rodgers once again put his faith in. Ahead of them, Liam Henderson came in on the left, Roberts on the right with Ryan Christie just off lone striker Leigh Griffiths.

Making so many alterations to his team was unusual for Rodgers, who had fielded a full-strength side in the Betfred Cup quarter-final against part-time Alloa. But it made sense given the punishing run of domestic and European matches Celtic are in the midst of at the moment.

After taking on Aberdeen in the league this weekend they will fly out to Germany next week for a massive Champions League group match against Borussia Moenchengladbach on Tuesday night. It was the right decision to rest key players before such important outings.

It was a chance for those who have been sitting on the sidelines to stake a claim for a regular start. For Griffiths, who has lost his place to Moussa Dembele since being sidelined with a calf injury, and Roberts especially.

The arrival of Scott Sinclair and the form of James Forrest have meant Roberts’s appearances have been limited. But the winger made the most of his opportunity. He opened the scoring in just the third minute.

His strike, though, owed more to poor defending than his undoubted ability. Sure, he did well to cut inside off the right flank and steer a low left foot shot beyond Scott Fox and into the bottom left corner. But the space he was given by the home team’s defence was incredible.

Liam Boyce, who has been out for almost a month with a knee injury, came into the County team up front along with Chris Burke as Craig Curran and Alex Schalk dropped out. He nearly levelled in the sixth minute after capitalising on a mistake by Lustig, but his effort was denied by the outstretched legs of Gordon.

With so many players in the starting line-up eager to impress, there was no shortage of pace, movement or invention in the Celtic side, in attack especially. Roberts created another a scoring opportunity in the 18th minute when he backheeled a Gamboa pass into the path of Griffiths. Paul Quinn forced the forward’s attempt into the side netting.

Fox denied first Christie and then Griffiths after some good work by Henderson. County, though, looked every bit as likely to level the match as their opponents did of forging further in front during the first half.

Boyce left the cross that Ryan Dow whipped into the Celtic box from wide on the right in the 32nd minute and the ball fell to the feet of Michael Gardyne. His low drive eluded the clutches of Gordon only to whistle narrowly past the right post. Andrew Davies also went close.

County, who had gone seven games without winning prior to this fixture, appeared to have a chance to claim a morale-boosting result against their illustrious visitors at that stage. But when Martin Woods tripped up when he was through on goal and Burke saw his shot stay out after squirming underneath Gordon you started to wonder if it maybe wouldn’t be their evening.

But Rodgers wasn’t taking any chances. He withdrew Christie, who had beavered away tirelessly up front, and put on Dembele, replaced Henderson, who had also been lively, with Scott Sinclair and removed Griffiths, who had failed to perform to his usual high standards, and introduced Bitton.

Read more: Rodgers predicts Celtic will be in great shape for Pittodrie trip after resting eight regulars for Ross County victory

Jim McIntyre withdrew Quinn and Burke and put on Jay McEveley and Tony Dingwall respectively and his charges continued to push hard for that elusive goal. They came agonisingly close once more in the 66th minute when Davies headed onto the post from a Woods corner.

McIntyre was incensed when Woods was brought down by Gordon after being sent clear by Dingwall in the 73rd minute. Referee Alan Muir only deemed the foul worth of a yellow card.

Fox was unable to get a hand to the shots that Armstrong curled in with six minutes remaining or that Sinclair and Dembele netted in injury-time.