Neil Lennon watched Celtic drop their first points of 2020 with a “bitterly disappointing” 2-2 draw at Livingston, but admitted his frustration was tempered by the team stretching their lead at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership.
Hoops midfielder Callum McGregor’s 16th minute opener was cancelled out by Livi captain Jon Guthrie after a Fraser Forster fumble.
Midfielder Scott Robinson, who had scored in Livi’s 2-0 win over the Hoops in October, notched less than a minute after the break but in the second of five added minutes, substitute Tom Rogic on for Mohamed Elyounoussi, levelled from an Odsonne Edouard cut back.
Celtic had won all 11 domestic matches since the turn of the year – eight in the league – but despite the draw at Livingston the Hoops went 13 points clear of the Light Blues, who lost 1-0 at home to Hamilton, albeit they still have a game in hand.
Lennon said: “We will take it game by game. We have St Mirren on Saturday. We can’t give away sloppy goals against any opposition.
“I don’t want us to be chasing games all the time.
“We set high standards. It is the first points we have dropped which is bitterly disappointing but in the context of the evening, I suppose it was okay.”
💬 "Our reaction to that [Livingston going ahead] was brilliant, it was non-stop pressure."#LIVCEL#SPFL— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) March 4, 2020
The Hoops boss insists his side, despite their late equaliser, deserved to take all three points.
He said: “I am delighted with the performance and (it) deserved three points.
“Their goal could easily have been a foul on Fraser, the second goal was disappointing and the rest of the game we were magnificent against a difficult opponent on a difficult pitch, we were absolutely outstanding.
“I had total belief that we would get the equaliser.
“Tom came up with the goods but the team were fantastic, their intensity and will to win was there in evidence.”
