Lennon Denied, Celtic Win 3-0 at Motherwell
Celtic secured a comfortable 3-0 victory at Fir Park, extending their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table. The Hoops dominated the match from start to finish, with goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada, and Jota sealing the win.
However, the victory was marred by a controversial decision that denied Neil Lennon, the Motherwell manager, a potential goal-scoring opportunity.
A Dominant Performance from Celtic
The match began with Celtic pressing high and controlling possession. Furuhashi opened the scoring in the 15th minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to slot the ball past Liam Kelly in the Motherwell goal.
The Hoops continued to dominate, with Abada doubling their lead shortly before half-time. He cut inside from the right flank and unleashed a powerful shot that flew past Kelly.
Celtic maintained their momentum in the second half, and Jota added a third goal in the 65th minute with a well-taken strike from outside the box.
Lennon's Frustration with the Referees
While Celtic celebrated their victory, Neil Lennon was left fuming after a controversial incident in the first half. A cross from Sean Goss appeared to have been deflected into the net by Cameron Carter-Vickers, but the referee ruled it out for offside.
Replays showed that the ball had come off Carter-Vickers' hand, not his foot, leaving Lennon convinced that a penalty should have been awarded.
“I thought we deserved a penalty. Carter-Vickers handled the ball, it’s as clear as day,” Lennon said after the match.
“We were the better team for large parts of the game, but we were denied by a poor decision.”
Celtic's Unbeaten Run Continues
Despite the controversy, Celtic extended their unbeaten run to 15 games in all competitions. The win also put them six points clear of their nearest rivals, Rangers, at the top of the table.
The Hoops will now look to continue their winning streak when they face Dundee United at Parkhead next weekend.
While Celtic dominated the match and secured a comfortable win, the refereeing decisions will undoubtedly be debated in the days to come. It remains to be seen whether the Scottish FA will take any action following the controversy.
Keywords: Celtic, Motherwell, Neil Lennon, Scottish Premiership, Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada, Jota, Liam Kelly, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Fir Park, refereeing, controversy, unbeaten run