Red-hot Mulgrew has Lennon smiling

CELTIC manager Neil Lennon was full of praise for the application of his players and the dead-ball talent of Charlie Mulgrew following their 3-0 win over Dunfermline.

Celtic began life at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League in convincing fashion as Mulgrew scored one and helped set up the other two goals at East End Park.

The former Aberdeen defender’s cross after a short corner led to a glorious 18th-minute opener from Anthony Stokes, who curled into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Victor Wanyama volleyed home Mulgrew’s 40th-minute free-kick at the back post and the defender curled home a 30-yard free-kick in the 69th minute.

Celtic were dominant in the final stages of their 10th consecutive SPL win as they retained the two-point lead over Rangers that last week’s Old Firm win secured. “He’s having a great time of it at the minute,” Lennon said of Mulgrew. “I thought he had a great game on Wednesday. His delivery wasn’t quite there for a couple of weeks but now he’s found his range. The ball for the second goal was sublime and his free-kick was a piece of individual brilliance.”

Bottom club Dunfermline have not won at home all season but Lennon had warned against complacency after a weekend which saw Manchester United and Manchester City suffer shock defeats.

“It’s hard winning games,” Lennon said. “I said to the players that Dunfermline would make life very difficult for us, which they did.”

Celtic failed to follow up wins over Rangers last season and Lennon was determined to avoid another Old Firm hangover.

“You can drop points at any time but we just made sure the application was right,” he said. “We started really well, on the front foot. We could have passed it better but it was difficult to do that at the pace we want to play.”

Another major lift for Lennon was the return of Emilio Izaguirre. The left-back came off the bench in the 79th minute for his first appearance since breaking an ankle at Aberdeen in August.

Rangers bounced back from their Old Firm derby defeat with a convincing 3-0 win over third placed Motherwell, while Pat Fenlon’s Hibernian were beaten 3-1 at home to Hearts. They currently lie second from bottom, just a point ahead of Dunfermline.

Elsewhere, former Sligo Rovers star Richie Ryan made his debut for Dundee United yesterday, coming on as late substitute.

It was an unhappy debut for him though as Dundee United, having gone 1-0 up through Irish striker Jon Daly’s 14th goal of the season, conceded twice in the second half to lose 2-1 at home to Aberdeen.

DUNFERMLINE: Smith, Dowie, Potter, Keddie, Boyle, Willis (Kirk 64), Hardie, Mason (Cardle 52),Burns, Graham, Barrowman (Buchanan 76).

CELTIC: Forster, Matthews (Cha 76), Rogne,Mulgrew, Ledley, Forrest, Brown, Wanyama (Izaguirre 79), Samaras, Hooper (Ki 66), Stokes.

Referee: Iain Brines