HOOPS manager, Neil Lennon although delighted with his side’s 1-1 draw with Stade Rennais at Roazhon Park last night (Thursday), feels that they deserved all three points for their performance in France.

The draw on the continent sets Celtic up well for the remainder of their UEFA Europa League Group E matches, but the Irishman knows his charges could be sitting joint top with CFR Cluj who defeated Lazio 2-1 in Romania.

He said: “The overall performance and the control we had for long periods of the game against one of the top teams in France away from home was fantastic. There was a maturity and quality about our performance.

“My only tinge of disappointment was that we didn’t win the game, because the performance certainly merited at least a point.”
The Celts are now making progress on the road in Europe, something that hasn’t always been the case in recent years, and the manager knows what a difference that makes.

He said: “With the experience we’ve got now, the players are adapting to it. I didn’t want them to play well and lose, and they showed great desire to come back into the game - and at stages we looked like we were going to go and win it.

“We dealt with most of Rennes’ play very well. Our play was of very high quality. But it’s just one performance and we know the group is wide open. We now look forward to a home game where we have to try and take maximum points from that.”

He added: “Rennes are a team that beat PSG a few weeks ago comfortably. It’s a good result and a good fillip for the players and gives them belief that they can go on and make strides in the group.

"They looked comfortable in that environment, with no panic about us being a goal down and they had a good reaction. That’s what I’m getting from this team a lot.

“In moments of adversity, they find something more and there’s a good belief from them that they could’ve got something from the game.

“What pleased me more than anything was the control we had in the game. My two guys in midfield, Brown and McGregor, as a partnership last night were fantastic.”

Neil Lennon delighted as Celtic adapt to European challenge