NEIL Lennon credited his players for a well-rounded performance in their 2-0 win over Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final and said that his side are starting to show their best form again.

Celtic’s dominant display throughout the 90 minutes ensured they were comfortable winners in the end and extended their winning run in domestic cup competition to an incredible 35 games.

Speaking after the game, the Celtic manager said: “It was fantastic to be in another cup final and follow on from a great performance in France on a really heavy pitch. I thought we were very comfortable and were outstanding in the first half.

“As expected, the players tired in the second half and we had to change the shape and change the personnel, but we saw the game out comfortably and it’s another cup final. I’m sure there was a lot of expectation and pressure on them but they didn’t show any of it and handled the occasion very well.”

The return of several key players has helped bolster the strength of the squad and Neil Lennon said he was pleased to see the team continuing to edge closer to their best form.

“We’re still not where I want us to be but we’re getting there," he said. "The games take it out of them so we have to rest and recover. We have an important game on Thursday night and if we win that we’re back in the group. It’s very exciting but for now, the players need some rest and recovery.

“Odsonne’s not fully fit and neither is Nir or Hatem, but they’ll get the benefit. The boys who are playing are playing very well and improving all the time, so we’re not a million miles from where I want us to be.

“We’ve had a heavy volume of games and they’ve come through it on the other side now. I’m not saying everything is going to be plain sailing from here on out but we’re starting to show real form again.”

Neil Lennon praises assured Celtic performance in semi-final win