Celtic 3-2 Hibs: Theatrical Lennon inspires Celtic into a fighting performance of old

IF NEIL Lennon does go on to remain as Celtic manager beyond the end of this season, he may well reflect upon the final ten minutes of this match as the catalyst for his appointment.

• Neil Lennon congratulates Morten Rasmussen on his match-winning contribution

While it may be too easy to suggest this was a contest Celtic would have lost under Tony Mowbray, there was no escaping the feeling on Saturday that Lennon's influence was writ large on his team's stirring and storming fightback from 2-1 down to grab victory.

In stark contrast to the passive figure Mowbray presented on the sidelines during his wretched nine months in charge, Lennon is a whirling dervish of a presence in and around the technical area. Just as he did as a player, the little Ulsterman wears his heart on his sleeve as a coach.

The whole gamut of emotions were on show on Saturday, from beating the ground in frustration and booting water bottle holders in anger to a manic and delirious sprint down the touchline to celebrate substitute Morten Rasmussen's dramatic late winner with his players.

If Lennon's behaviour bordered on the theatrical at times, notably at full-time when his finger-pointing confrontation of referee Stephen Finnie was certainly a case of playing to the gallery, there can be no doubt about his genuine passion for the club.

Defender Mark Wilson, making the most of his recall to the first team by Lennon following the shock Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Ross County, agrees that the interim manager's contribution to the manner of Saturday's victory should not be underestimated.

"Lenny being animated on the touchline has a positive effect on the players," said Wilson. "If you look over and see a manager just standing there, not saying much when things aren't going right, it's not ideal.

"We are all professional enough to gee ourselves up, but if you have someone like Lenny screaming and shouting, going through all the emotions, it certainly gives you a kick up the arse. It makes you want to win for him. Maybe it is easier for players to hide when you have a manager who's not like that. It shouldn't be the case, but perhaps it is at times.

"Some players react differently. Some can do it themselves, but others need a manager to get them going. Lenny is definitely first class at it.

"I would love to see Lenny get the job for next season. He is a great guy who I loved playing alongside. He's done a great job so far, the boys really respect him and he's done the lot in the game."

For those Celtic supporters who turned up on Saturday, and the official attendance figure of just under 30,000 is again questionable , this was what has become an all too rare occasion at Parkhead. Not only did the match deliver value for money in entertainment terms, it also saw Celtic produce the kind of grandstand finish which was once almost a trademark.

After Robbie Keane had tapped in Aiden McGeady's cross for his 13th goal in 15 appearances to give Celtic a fourth-minute lead, Hibs placed their hosts back on edge when Derek Riordan equalised just two minutes later with a brilliantly struck 20-yard shot. Celtic missed a host of opportunities to regain the lead before Josh Thompson conceded a penalty with a high challenge on Anthony Stokes nine minutes into the second half.

The Irish striker beat Artur Boruc from the spot for his 20th goal of the season to leave Celtic facing serious concerns over holding on to second place in the SPL.

But in the manner of days gone by under Lennon's mentor Martin O'Neill, the home team gathered what proved to be irresistible momentum in the closing stages. Marc-Antoine Fortune made it 2-2 with a simple close range shot after Hibs goalkeeper Graham Stack had managed to parry Keane's effort from McGeady's cross before Danish striker Rasmussen, impressive after coming on for Niall McGinn, sparked relieved celebrations when he stole a yard on Sol Bamba to touch home a Fortune cross with three minutes left.

"It is ridiculous we haven't done that before now," admitted Wilson, who finished the afternoon as a makeshift central defender following Darren O'Dea's departure with an ankle injury.

"Thankfully we showed huge character to come back and win it today. That type of thing used to be common here under Martin O'Neill and Gordon Strachan. We were always strong in the last ten minutes but this season that has been non-existent. If anything, it's gone more the other way with teams scoring against us.

"It has been a terrible season and the fans have suffered a lot. So it was great to hear them so loud at the end against Hibs, even if the stadium was half-empty. But we don't deserve any more. Who is going to come and watch the team with the way we have played this season? I must admit, if I had a season ticket or had a normal job, I wouldn't come myself."