Lennon copies old mentor with ‘astonishingly brilliant’ praise

HIBS boss Neil Lennon pinched a catchphrase from his old Celtic manager Martin O’Neill last night and branded his Easter Road side ‘astonishingly brilliant’.

Last term’s Ladbrokes Championship winners marked their return to the top division after three long years away with an impressive 3-1 home win over Partick Thistle that had Lennon purring with delight.

O’Neill’s enthusiastic description of his Celtic team following a narrow 3-2 loss to Rangers in December 2002 has gone down in legend.

Lennon would love to think his reign in Leith can go on to do the same.

‘As my old gaffer used to say, we were astonishingly brilliant,’ he beamed after seeing goals from Martin Boyle, Steven Whittaker and a Simon Murray penalty send a near-18,000 crowd home happy.

‘We got off to a poor start. You can get like that — a drowsy with the atmosphere and the pomp beforehand — but the reaction from the team was fantastic and I thought we dominated.

‘The fans here have been amazing since I walked in the door and we are now looking like a big club again. To have that crowd in the building and going home with three points, it’s all good.

‘I can’t ask for any more from my players, but it’s just the start.’

Whittaker is certainly claiming the first-half goal that got Hibs’ noses in front after Chris Erskine had given Partick an early lead, but he has revealed that there was a suggestion Murray may have got a touch on the ball before it crossed the line.

Whoever is officially credited, the veteran fullback was delighted to mark his Easter Road return — staged a decade after he left to join Rangers — with a win and senses great strides could be made this season.

‘Watching the team over the past couple of seasons, they have had success in winning the Scottish Cup and in winning the Championship, so there is a good feeling here,’ said the 33-year-old.

‘The Edinburgh sides are big clubs. Hibs have got a great support. We have added a great training ground and a great stadium. We have got the foundations to be one of the biggest clubs here and that comes with good players working all together on the park.

‘I’m not very sure if it was my goal because some people are saying it has maybe hit Simon on the way in, but I don’t get many and I would like to claim it!’

Lennon was delighted with the way Murray led the line. His penalty was his eighth strike of the season. The SPFL’s Dubious Goals Panel, if necessary, can decide whether he did get of touch on Whittaker’s shot.

‘Simon was superb,’ said Lennon. ‘His first touch, his willingness to close people down and take the penalty will give him confidence.’

Partick manager Alan Archibald, meanwhile, was disappointed his side fell apart after taking the lead.

‘Our decision-making and passing was slack and invited unnecessary pressure on to us,’ he said.