Lennon takes no comfort from reduced gap

10 May 2010 16:58

Neil Lennon takes no solace from having narrowed the gap behind Clydesdale Bank Premier League champions Rangers to six points with Sunday's last-day win at Hearts.

When the Irishman took over from Tony Mowbray on an interim basis on March 25, the Hoops trailed their Old Firm rivals by 10 points with the Ibrox side having played two games less. Lennon's rejuvenated Celtic side have chipped away at that lead, helped by their first win of the season over the Light Blues at Parkhead last week.

But the points differential means little to Lennon, who told the Evening Times: "I wouldn't lay too much on that. I'm sure that, when Rangers saw the end in sight, subconsciously they took their foot off the pedal. I know it happens, because I've experienced it myself."

At Tynecastle, Robbie Keane's 16th goal since arriving on loan from Tottenham in January and Zheng Zhi's first since he signed as a free agent last August, extended the Hoops' winning run in the SPL to eight games.

And with Rangers drawing 3-3 at home to Motherwell the gap was reduced again.

Lennon added: "I'm just delighted to have finished the season with an eighth SPL win.

"I could not have done it without the players. They have been brilliant. They have proved to themselves what they can do, and proved it to the fans that they are well capable of putting in a challenge.

"What I was pleased about in the run-in was the consistency, the quality and the wins. Even in the final game, the players did it for me, although at half-time I had a bit of a go at them.

"I didn't think they were as good as they should have been on the ball. They were also allowing too many crosses to come into our box.

"In the second half they were superb and saw out the game very well for the win."

Source: PA