Motherwell 0 - 1 Celtic: Respite for Neil Lennon as Celtic climb to top of table

Published on Sunday 29 August 2010 18:33

AT THE end of a week when they hit rock bottom on the continent, Celtic still had enough about them to move to the SPL summit as they eked out a hard-earned but merited victory over fellow Europa League cast-offs Motherwell.

• Daryl Murphy celebrates scoring for Celtic from the penalty spot> Pic: SNS

If cup competitions have delivered him nothing but misery so far as Celtic manager, Neil Lennon continues to find domestic league football a breeze.

This was his 11th consecutive SPL win since replacing Tony Mowbray in March and almost certainly his most welcome so far as his players provided the response he needed after Thursday night's desperate capitulation in Utrecht.

For Lennon to extend his tenure at Celtic, his team must still be top of the table next May. Yesterday, while never achieving any great levels of fluency of creativity, they showed a capacity to grind out three points on the road which they will have to maintain over the coming months to seize the title back from Rangers.

This was a high noon Sunday shoot-out in Lanarkshire which Lennon could barely have afforded to lose and his satisfaction with the result was supplemented by an impressive debut for Honduran international left-back Emilio Izaguirre.

Republic of Ireland striker Daryl Murphy scored the only goal of the game, his first for Celtic, from the penalty spot with 17 minutes remaining. In conceding the spot-kick, Motherwell defender Steven Saunders was dismissed and the short-handed home side never looked likely to salvage anything from a contest in which they did not force Celtic's debutant goalkeeper Fraser Forster into a single save worthy of the name.

There were no initial signs from either side of any hangover from their midweek disappointments with both carving out and passing up terrific opportunities to open the scoring inside the first three minutes.

Motherwell were first to threaten as Tom Hateley's free-kick from the left exposed uncertainty at the heart of the Celtic defence in which Glenn Loovens was recalled to partner Daniel Majstorovic, just one of five changes Lennon made to the line-up torn asunder in Utrecht. John Sutton escaped the attention of both central defenders but wastefully failed to test the giant Forster as he headed wide from close range.

Celtic, deploying a 4-4-2 formation which effectively became 4-2-4 whenever they attacked as James Forrest and Shaun Maloney pushed forward in support of front pair Daryl Murphy and Georgios Samaras, responded rapidly to create their own gilt-edged chance. Forrest surged into space on the right and his cross picked out Maloney some eight yards out.It appeared a certain goal for the visitors but Maloney failed to get enough power on his shot, allowing Motherwell goalkeeper Darren Randolph to make a fine one-handed save.

Maloney attracted the ire of the home side moments later when he went down under Stephen Craigan's challenge on the edge of the penalty area. Referee Dougie McDonald awarded the free-kick but the incensed home players, led by captain Craigan, accused the Celtic player of taking a dive. Maloney took the set piece himself but curled it narrowly off target.

After such a lively and promising start, the pace and quality of the match steadily diminished. The ball retention of both sides often left much to be desired. It was, for long spells, an illustration of the technical deficiencies inherent in the modern Scottish game which have contributed to the recent appalling run of European results.

Celtic were largely the dominant side, if far from impressive. Maloney was their most threatening player, heading another Forrest cross narrowly wide and then showing tremendous footwork to elude three challenges in a run into the box which he could not match with a finish as he sliced his shot into the side netting.

Motherwell, for all of their industry and commitment, lacked guile and incisiveness.

They almost benefited from a horrible moment for Loovens, however, the Dutch defender wildly miscuing an attempted clearance after Keith Lasley had flicked on a long throw-in from Saunders. To the relief of the stranded Forster, the ball drifted just off target.

Brown, who had been forced to replace the injured Steven Hammell with Jonathan Page before half-time, had to make another change at the start of the second half. Steven Jennings, who has been suffering from a virus, made way for on-loan Blackburn striker Nick Blackman. Brown might have hoped it would enhance his team's attacking threat. It was Celtic, however, who remained in the ascendancy.

Majstorovic might have done better than send a free header from Izaguirre's corner over before Samaras was too deliberate with a low shot which was held by Randolph low to the keeper's left. The introduction of Paddy McCourt for Samaras enlivened Celtic in the final third of the pitch but their goal came in route one fashion.

A kick-out from Randolph was thundered back upfield by the head of Majstorovic, sending Maloney racing through the middle and pursued by Saunders. The young defender pushed Maloney in the back and despite Motherwell protests that the Celtic forward had again made the most of the incident, it was a clear penalty kick and a red card for Saunders. Murphy stepped forward confidently and swatted the ball high into the net from the spot, sending Randolph the wrong way and the Celtic fans behind the goal into celebrations tinged with more than a hint of relief.Motherwell: Randolph, Saunders, Reynolds, Craigan, Hammell (Page 35); Humprey (Forbes 72), Hateley, Jennings (Blackman 46), Lasley; Murphy, Sutton. Subs not used: Hollis, McHugh, Fitzpatrick, Casagolda.

Celtic: Forster, Cha, Majstorovic, Loovens, Izaguirre; Forrest, Brown, Ledley, Maloney; Samaras (McCourt 67), Murphy. Subs not used: Zaluska, Juarez, Hooiveld, Ki, Towell, Kayal.