Brendan Rodgers warns Celtic players fatigue is no excuse

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has warned his players fatigue will be no excuse for failure to maximise their advantage at the top of the Premiership during a hectic December.

Celtic's Leigh Griffiths with manager Brendan Rodgers at full time. Picture: Craig Williamson/SNS

The champions maintained their five-point lead at the top of the table, with a game in hand over closest pursuers Rangers and Aberdeen, when they beat Hamilton 3-1 at Celtic Park.

They have another five games this month and Rodgers said: “It’s a really tight schedule but that’s been the case since June.

“Since our first pre-season game, we’ve been training, playing, training, playing – right the way through to now. It’s not an excuse .

“We have to be ready to work hard and press and when we have the ball look after it. I thought in the main that the team did that really well.”

Hamilton boss Martin Canning rued losing two goals just before half-time.

Danny Redmond levelled for Accies after Olivier Ntcham gave Celtic an early lead but quickfire strikes from James Forrest and Scott Sinclair put the home side in control.

Canning said: “Two goals in a minute killed us but we created three or four good opportunities in the second half and, if we’d got it back to 3-2, it would have been interesting.”