Strachan reluctant to fine players for late spat

CELTIC manager Gordon Strachan admits he will be reluctant to fine Neil Lennon, Artur Boruc and Aiden McGeady after their three-man spat at the end of the 2-1 win over Dunfermline at East End Park.

The Parkhead side restored their lead at the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League to 16 points thanks to second-half goals by McGeady and Maciej Zurawski.

However, the fallout after Dunfermline’s injury-time consolation was the most controversial incident in an otherwise routine Hoops victory.

After Stephen Simmons had the easiest of tasks in bundling the ball over the line with seconds left on the clock, Boruc raced from his line to confront Lennon who, like the Celtic keeper, was clearly unhappy at the loss of the late goal.

Then, seconds later, when the full-time whistle sounded, the Parkhead skipper confronted McGeady, pushing him away, with Hoops substitute Evander Sno having to step in to separate them.

However, Strachan believes it is pointless to fine highly-paid players. He said: “I will need to think about that (fining them) overnight. But if your kids misbehave do you take money off them or do you expect better from them.

“To players who have got a few bob, does money make any difference? I think you are asking for a standard. I will have a word with the lads. It will not be a slamming or a blasting but I will tell them that they have a duty as footballers to conduct themselves in a manner that is right for Celtic or any club.”

Strachan believes his skipper’s “fear” of losing goals and games lay behind the remarkable incident.

He said: “It’s quite simple. It’s called fear. Lennon is scared of getting beat and of losing goals. Because if you do lose a goal then some other goals come behind it and if you get beat then other defeats come behind it.

“So you have to play with fear. The fear of getting beat is a great thing and Lenny has got that. It’s not nice to see it in public but we have all been there.

“Willie Miller and Mark McGhee used to do it all the time (at Aberdeen) as did me and big Alex (McLeish).”

Dunfermline manager Stephen Kenny, whose side remain rooted to the bottom of the SPL, tried to take some positives from the defeat. He said: “Regardless of who the opposition was, we were disappointed to get beat.

“This is our home venue and we don’t want to lose here. Celtic are a better team than us but apart from one save in the first-half from Dorus De Vries, they never had any real clear cut chances.

“But there were some good individual performances in our side and there was nothing lacking in perseverance or attitude.”

DUNFERMLINE: De Vries, Labonte, Shields, Wilson, Scott Morrison (McGuire 73), Ross, Mason, Simmons, Muirhead (Owen Morrison 77), Crawford, Daquin (Burchill 73).

CELTIC: Boruc, Wilson, Balde, O’Dea, Naylor, Nakamura (Pearson 75), Lennon (Sno 88), Jarosik, McGeady, Miller, Zurawski (Gravesen 75).

Referee: C Thomson.