Lennon: Flanagan should have seen red

Celtic interim manager Neil Lennon branded referee Kevin Clancy’s decision not to send off Rangers full-back Jon Flanagan as “unacceptable” but a d m i t t e d t h e c h a m p i o n s d e s e r ve d to lose the final Old Firm game of the season, writes Stephen Halliday.

With R angers leading 1- 0 through James Tavernier’s early goal, Flanagan was shown a yellow card for catching Celtic captain Scott Brown with a raised elbow as they jostled in the penalty area ahead of a 51st-minute corner kick.

Lennon, pictured, was convinced it should have been a tenth red card of the season for Rangers, who went on to seal victor y through Scott Arfield’s 63rd-minute strike.

“It’s a red card – again,” said Lennon. “How the referee has not given that as a red card I don’t know. It’s an elbow into the face. Their bench is shouting, ‘It’s him [Brown] again’ but it’s a clear elbow into his face.

“It’s there in technicolour. Jon has got his hands up first of all. Broony is moving to get away and then he elbows him in the jaw. It’s a straight red card, it’s

totally unacceptable and unacceptable for the referee not to give a red card.

“The laws of the game are it’s a red card. You elbow somebody in the face, you’ re off. So they’ve got away with one there.”

It was a dismal afternoon all round for Lennon who was subjected to sectarian abuse from some Rangers supporters in the second half, which is expected to be reported to the SPFL by their match delegate.

Lennon’s greatest source of unhappiness was the limp standard of Celtic’s performance in their first defeat since he stepped in to replace Brendan Rodgers in February.

“We were very poor ,” added Lennon. “The hungrier team won today and that’s the biggest criticism I can lay at the players’ feet. We looked flat and like we were just fulfilling the fixture and that’ s not good enough. I had to tell the players, whether I’m here or not next year, that performance is just not good enough for a derby.”

Kie ran Tierney and James For rest missed the game because of injury, while Mikae lL us tig limped out with a hamstrings train which could rule him out of the Scottish Cup final against Hearts on 25 May. Forrest is expected to recover in time.

Lennon feels the defeat at Ibrox exposed personnel weaknesses for Celtic who will have to reinforce their first-team options this summer .“There’ s a rebuilding job to be done, there’s no question of that and I’ve known that from day one,” he said.