IT might have taken Celtic until the 83rd minute to score the only goal of the game at Tannadice, but Neil Lennon said the 1-0 victory was a thoroughly deserved one for his side, who dominated proceedings for much of the 90 minutes.

That winning goal against a tenacious Dundee United side came courtesy of Albian Ajeti, with the Swiss internationalist netting his first goal for the Hoops just nine minutes after coming off the bench.

And his manager was delighted to see the 23-year-old get off the mark in what was only his second appearance for his new club.

“It’s a great three points,” Neil Lennon told Celtic TV after the game. “I think we played very, very well. We had to wait a long time for the goal but we thoroughly deserved it and I’m delighted with the result and I’m delighted with the performance.

“Albian did really well, even in his hold-up play when he came on, and he did really well to keep the ball alive with the header back to Odsonne, and he’s latched on to it and it’s a great finish for us and a great finish for him because strikers always want to make an early impact when they come to the club.

“We’re just trying to get him up to speed as quickly as we can because we think he’s going to be an asset and he’s proved that today.

“He’s a good finisher. He had a great time of it at Basel, not so much at West Ham, but that happens, and he’s come in – it’s a new lease of life for him and he’ll get a real buzz out of what he did today.”

Celtic enjoyed the bulk of possession on what was their first visit to Tannadice in over four-and-a-half years, and after dealing with United’s early enterprise, Neil Lennon was pleased with the dominance his side exerted on their opponents. The goal, and the three points, was just reward for their efforts.

“The attitude of the players was absolutely tremendous and you never lose faith in this team,” he said. “They know how to keep going, they kept patient and they got what they deserved. I thought 1-0 flattered Dundee United, that’s just my opinion, but we totally dominated the game.”

“It was a good game, it was feisty, it was mentally challenging for the players and they’ve come that so, psychologically, it will give them a big lift.”

Manager: We deserved victory with dominant performance