Source: Team_Talk
Mowbray acknowledges home sickness
Sunday's 1-0 win over Dundee United was well deserved but due to yet more profligacy in front of goal, it was a nervy ending before Hoops fans could celebrate seeing Robbie Keane's first home goal since he arrived on loan from Tottenham this month.[LNB]Mowbray's men will escape the east end pressures next week when they travel across Glasgow to Ibrox, with the chance to close the gap on SPL leaders Rangers to four points.[LNB]However, asked about the anxiousness which envelopes Celtic Park at times, Celtic manager Mowbray replied: "That's been there since day one, has it not?[LNB]"The team didn't win the league last year and there is an anxiety in the stadium but the players have to deal with that.[LNB]"We have found on several occasions this year that once you score the second goal, the anxiety disappears, the crowd enjoy the event and everything loosens off.[LNB]"(Yesterday), we didn't manage to get that second goal and so the anxiety remained.[LNB]"But at the end of the day we won the match and got the points."[LNB]Keane, who stoked the fires ahead of the trip to Govan by claiming the pressure was now on Rangers - whose game at St Johnstone was frozen off - claims tension always plays a part when chances go begging.[LNB]"Sometimes that happens in games," he said after yesterday's game.[LNB]"At 1-0, you are always liable to give the other team a chance but, all in all, we dominated the game and didn't look like losing it.[LNB]"But it is important in these kinds of situations to get the second goal.[LNB]"I have been lucky enough to play at big clubs before and the pressure comes with that.[LNB]"You are playing for a club that demands success and, as players, it is up to us to deliver it.[LNB]"We are well aware that people expect us to win these kind of games but sometimes they are not as easy as people think."[LNB]Keane took his tally to three in five appearances and the Republic of Ireland striker, named man of the match against United, believes he and his Celtic team-mates are starting to hit top form.[LNB]"It is starting to gel together," he said.[LNB]"People are getting to know each other's games.[LNB]"I said when I first came that it would take me three or four games to get in to the swing of things and I feel I am starting to do that.[LNB]"I'm starting to score now and long may it continue."[LNB]The only consolation United manager Peter Houston could take from a lacklustre display was the fact Hibernian failed to stretch their one-point lead in third place by losing at Motherwell.[LNB]Houston said: "Motherwell are on a fantastic run just now so it brings the three teams closer.[LNB]"We have two home games coming up, starting with Falkirk next week and they had a fantastic result against Aberdeen.[LNB]"We have to play the way we did at the Falkirk Stadium recently when we hammered them 4-1, but we have let it slip at Tannadice recently.[LNB]"So for the next couple of weeks, we will be at the players to turn Tannadice in to a wee bit of a fortress."[LNB][LNB]
