Lennon hails Maloney as Celtic edge it at Motherwell

Published on Friday 27 August 2010 11:47

Neil Lennon hailed Shaun Maloney after he won the penalty that gave Celtic a hard-earned win at Motherwell.

Daryl Murphy stroked home the 73rd-minute spot-kick after Steven Saunders sent Maloney tumbling and was red-carded.

Celtic manager Lennon was delighted that the Hoops had managed to bounce back from their Europa Cup exit and singled Maloney out for praise.

"I thought Maloney was fantastic once he went through the middle," Lennon said.

"We were pretty resolute at the back, the midfield were strong and athletic and the three front men did great.

"I'm really pleased with the performance and I thought we controlled the game for long periods."

Asked if he might be looking to do business before the transfer window closes, Lennon added: "We're hoping to bring a couple more players in."

Motherwell boss Craig Brown had no complaints about the outcome or the penalty.

He said: "The marginally better team won the game. They had more attempts on goal and more of the play."

Watching a replay of the penalty incident, Brown said: "You see Steven Saunders' hand on Maloney's shoulder so you would give a penalty for that.

"The player has a lot to do to score and it was careless to challenge him there."