It’s not all Bain sailing when you’re trying to win a league title

THE post-match message from Neil Lennon to his Celtic players wasn’t a tirade – but he made it clear the gloves are now off.

The draw with Hibs at Easter Road was another result and performance that didn’t meet with his approval – flat, uninspired and more than lacking in any panache.

As his spell as interim boss reaches a climax with a championship in waiting and a Scottish Cup Final on May 25, the Irishman delivered a timely reminder to his squad that they’re not on their holidays quite yet.

It was left to Scott Bain to sum up a stalemate in the capital and the Hoops keeper’s record of racking up 20 clean sheets from his 26 appearances this season makes him exempt from the criticism that came his side’s way.

The Scotland stopper insists he’ll gladly take getting over the finishing line in the title race however it happens even off for us but unluckily it never happened.”

Bain’s clean-sheet statistic spells out the consistency and excellence of his performances since claiming the No.1 shirt from Craig Gordon earlier in the campaign but the 27-yearold insists it’s a collective effort.

He said: “The clean sheets is an impressive record to look at but credit goes to the whole team for that.

“From the back four to the way we defend from the front, it’s been exceptional.

“We limit teams to very few chances and opportunities and if I have to make one save, then I do. But credit needs to go to the team for that stat.”

One of Lennon’s criticisms is of a Celtic side that’s dropped the tempo and intensity from the level he demands.

Bain said: “It was a difficult game against Hibs – we are playing a good side on a very hot day.

“I still think we showed the intensity in the final third at times. Other times? I don’t know. When we played to our standard, we cut through