LENNON: HIBS MUST MAINTAIN HIGH LEVEL

NEIL Lennon has warned Hibs he will not stand for any more excuses if they fail to live up to their impressive Celtic Park display.

The Leith side came close to a shock win over Brendan Rodgers’ undefeated Hoops before the international break.

John McGinn’s double put them in front with 13 minutes left but Callum McGregor hit back for Celtic to snatch a 2-2 draw.

But that Parkhead performance was just what Lennon was looking for and he has told his players he wants them to match that standard every week.

Speaking ahead of Aberdeen’s visit to Easter Road tomorrow, he said: “The Celtic performance didn’t surprise me and the boys have no excuses now.

“That’s the level they can play at and the quality of performance they can produce.

“The way they handled the game and the circumstances was everything I wanted and what I knew I could get from the team.

“They now need to maintain that level and, if they do, we’ll have a great season.

“We have t hree great games coming up — Aberdeen, Celtic again in the Betfred Cup, then Hearts. Three screamers. That can help us get the boys focused.

“It’s a good marker for how good we can be. We’ve already proved ourselves in Glasgow by beating Rangers and almost winning at Celtic Park.

“So we can play really well against the best.”