Celtic defender Liam Scales has backed striker Kasper Hogh to end his goal drought, insisting the £11m forward's luck will turn after another frustrating afternoon.
Hogh thought he had scored his first goal in 14 games during Sunday's victory over Kilmarnock, only for the effort to be ruled out by VAR following a foul by Mika Baur in the build-up. The Dane has now gone 16 games without scoring for Celtic, with his hat-trick at Rugby Park his only goals for the club so far.
Scales backs striker
Scales, who scored the winner in the 1-0 victory, said Hogh has the full support of his teammates. "He's been brilliant. He keeps doing the right things and eventually it will fall for him," Scales said. "He was so unlucky with his goal being ruled out."
"It will fall for him. He's a goalscorer and a good player. His all round game was brilliant, he held the ball up really well," the defender added. "He's just been unlucky. But his attitude has been brilliant. If he keeps doing the right things it will work out for him."
More than 1000 minutes without a goal
Hogh had other chances against Kilmarnock, including a shot saved by keeper Nico Mantl and blocks from Killie defenders. It is now more than 1000 minutes on the pitch without a goal for Celtic.
Scales, who is now level with Hogh on three goals this season, described his winning goal as a "tidy finish" after stretching to loop a volley into the top corner. "It took an age to come down. I wasn't sure if it was going to land on the roof of the net," he said. "I was just trying to guide it on target and luckily enough it went in."
Back-to-back wins lift mood
The win over Kilmarnock followed a morale-boosting Europa League victory against Besiktas, ending a run of nine games in 28 days. Benjamin Nygren missed a second-half penalty that would have eased the tense finale.
Scales said the two wins have lifted the mood after recent struggles, including dropped points to Dundee United and Falkirk and European defeats to Benfica and Celta Vigo. "We knew we needed that win and can go into the break and refresh," he said. "The win against a top side like Besiktas has boosted us a little bit. There's kind of a better mood around. We just want to keep adding good results."
