NEIL Lennon insists that Celtic’s dream of completing 10-In-A-Row isn’t over - despite Rangers pulling 19 points clear at the top of the Premiership.
A second-half Callum McGregor own goal saw the Parkhead club, who have three games in hand still to play, slump to a 1-0 defeat to their city rivals at Ibrox.
However, Lennon was buoyed by his side’s all-round performance and is refusing to accept they can’t make history by winning a 10th consecutive Scottish title come May.
“You have got to keep going,” he said. “You can’t just say it’s over because there is still a lot of football to be played. We have to be a lot more consistent in the second half of the season than we have been in the first half.
“There was plenty of belief in that performance. If we keep playing like that, we won’t have any problems at all. Our performances of late have been excellent and I thought we were excellent today.”
Asked if he thought Rangers were unlikely to drop points, Lennon replied: “You can’t say that. I thought there was a lot of anxiety out there today and we had control of the game.
“It may be a pivotal moment in the season, I can’t predict what is going to happen in the second half, but we have to keep playing like that, keep being consistent, keep winning games and apply as much pressure as we possibly can."
Lennon was unhappy that referee Bobby Madden had shown Celtic defender Nir Bitton a straight red card for a foul on Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos in the second-half.
“Morelos might have got a shot off but it would have been from a very narrow angle,” he said. “It’s not even in the box. I thought he was too quick to get the red out. It’s poor from Nir, but it’s not a red card and that changed the course of the game.
“We had been in full control. The manner of their goal, the red card, all those things went against us today. That’s football.”
Lennon revealed that Celtic defender Christopher Jullien, who injured himself against Dundee United on Wednesday, will be out for up to four months and confirmed he will look to sign another centre half in the January transfer window.
“He has ruptured ligaments in his knee,” he said. “Obviously that was a blow coming in to the game, but I thought we were good. It is an area where we will probably look to bring someone in.”
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