Brown does the business for Lennon

26 September 2010 11:55
eil Lennon had every reason to feel vindicated in his backing of Scott Brown after the skipper's role in Celtic's 2-1 SPL win over Hibernian.[LNB] Before kick-off at Parkhead on Saturday, there was some debate over whether much-maligned midfielder Brown deserved to come back into a team that had demolished Inverness 6-0 in midweek.[LNB]However, the former Hibs player repaid his manager's enormous faith in him after only five minutes by grabbing the opener with a wonderful volley.[LNB]Glenn Loovens added a second after the break with a header but former Celtic striker Derek Riordan responded quickly with a brilliant chip to keep the home fans nervous until the final whistle signalled that Celtic had taken a three-point lead at the top of the SPL over Rangers, who play at Aberdeen on Sunday.[LNB]"Are you surprised?" smiled Lennon when asked about Brown's performance.[LNB]"He's got his detractors but we all know what he can do.[LNB]"It was a wonderful performance, he led the team brilliantly with good energy and quality and it was a wonderful goal he scored as well.[LNB]"If we hadn't had him we might have struggled.[LNB]"We had a decision to make for this game. Ki Sung-yueng's performance against Inverness was at a very high level but we feel that Brown can be at his best in games like this.[LNB]"I've said before, he has been a big player for me and it showed today, I thought he was fantastic."[LNB]Lennon claimed his side made heavy weather of a victory that should have been more comfortable.[LNB]"At 2-0 up we should have been coasting," he said.[LNB]"The goal we gave away was criminal from our point of view. The one player that can change a game in their team is Riordan.[LNB]"The game went flat at times and some individuals were not at their best but when you go 2-0 up you should see it out comfortably.[LNB]"When it goes to 2-1 it gets a bit edgy but we had enough chances to see the game off.[LNB]"It didn't help that we lost Charlie Mulgrew at half time to a hamstring injury.[LNB]"We had to reshuffle a bit but we brought the problems on ourselves really by not doing the basics well enough.[LNB]"But it was important that we won the game and put the onus back on Rangers and we did that."[LNB]Lennon will have a look on television at the incident which saw his striker Anthony Stokes booked for diving in the Hibs box.[LNB]He said: "We haven't spoken abut it yet and I didn't get a good view but if he has we don't condone it if he has done it.[LNB]"We will have a look at it again."[LNB]Celtic defender Daniel Majstorovic was happy enough to hand the armband back to Brown and is hoping the result puts pressure on Old Firm rivals Rangers at Pittodrie.[LNB]"Scott is our captain and he had a very good game today," the Sweden international said.[LNB]"He is a fantastic player, a very important player for Celtic and his country and he showed everybody that he can be a top player.[LNB]"I am very impressed by him.[LNB]"Of course the pressure is on Rangers. Now we are three points ahead and Rangers have to go to Aberdeen.[LNB]"It is a difficult game for them so we will see but we have to be focused on what we are doing."[LNB]Hibernian have won one game in nine this season and eight in their past 34 but boss John Hughes seemed happy enough with his side's performance.[LNB]"I felt the Hibs performance was good," he said. "We had to come to Celtic and be hard-working and solid and I think that was evident.[LNB]"I think we could have got something but not when you concede early goals in each half, especially the second one which gave us a mountain to climb.[LNB]"But I've been in football and it will turn.[LNB]"We just need to stick together, that result will come and then you are up and running."[LNB]Hughes, though, took umbrage at the suggestion that the absence from his team of Sol Bamba and Colin Nish might have had something to do with their rumoured clash in the dressing room at Rugby Park, following the midweek Co-operative Insurance Cup defeat by Kilmarnock.[LNB]"They are both injured," he snapped.

Source: Team_Talk