Sport: Lennon eyes Old Firm double after Hibs beat Celtic

Neil Lennon hailed Hibs’ “remarkable” performance following yesterday’s 2-0 victory over Celtic and challenged his side to secure an Old Firm double against Rangers on Wednesday.

Missing as many as seven first-team regulars, Hibs produced their best performance of the season to leave their manager with mixed emotions. Lennon, pictured, admitted he was irked as well as delighted with his team showing what they are capable of after a run of poor results in November and early December.

Goals from Vykintas Slivka and Florian Kamberi, the first coming after only 46 seconds, secured a result that leaves Hibs still in eighth place but eight points off top spot.

“The three points are marvellous, gets us back in amongst it,” said Lennon. “Wednesday is a game in hand so we have to try to maximise it and build on it.

“It’s a remarkable performance under the circumstances considering the omissions we had from the squad,” he said.

“I’m proud and delighted

– but I’m also annoyed because two weeks ago against kilmarnock we were pathetic and now we’ve put together two back-to-back wins playing well. That should kick-start our season now and if we overcome Rangers on Wednesday we’re back in the top six and things look healthy again.”

Lennon acknowledged Celtic could have been down to ten men in the firsthalf when Scott Brown crudely scythed down opening goalscorer Slivka. The Lithuanian was replaced at half-time having been unable to run off the knock sustained in the challenge. He is now a doubt to make the game against Rangers.

“It was a bit reckless,” said Lennon. “I a scissor motion but at match pace did not look a red card. Look at it again and it may have been.”

Brendan rodgers, the celtic manager, conceded his side were “poor” following the exertions of Thursday night’s Europa League defeat against an excellent RB Salzburg side.

But their shortcomings were not entirely down to lethargy. Rodgers knows Celtic are short of options up front following the decision to allow troubled striker Leigh Griffiths to step away from football for the foreseeable future. “We need to look in the January window,” said Rodgers, whose side still have four games to play before the end of the year.

“When we had Leigh and Odsonne [Edouard] we were definitely in the market for another one, because of the number of games we play.

“I think it is unfair on Odsonne, he had to play in so many games. As a 20-yearold I would love to have taken him out but, because of necessity, he has had to play. It is unfortunate for him he hasn’t had the support around him to absorb that but it is certainly something we need to look at in January.”

Rodgers refused to use the draining clash with Salzburg as an excuse – indeed he had described qualifying for the Europa League last 32 as a “lift” ahead of yesterday’s clash.

“It was nothing to do with energy from Thursday, it was a tactical discipline in those two moments,” he said. “We were not concentrated. We left gaps in the first minute, passed at the wrong time and then didn’t track runners back.

“The second one comes from our

”