Neil Lennon hails ‘top drawer’ Celtic side and details half-time Edouard message

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Celtic. made it four wins in a row with a hard-fought victory over St Johnstone

Neil Lennon has revealed the instructions he gave Odsonne Edouard at half-time against St Johnstone.

With Callum Davidson’s side taking the lead five minutes into the second half, Edouard sprang into action and turned the game on its head with a quick-fire double.

The Frenchman’s 19th and 20th goals of the season gave the champions a fourth consecutive victory, and meant the 23-year-old has now scored for the sixth successive game.

He is also now the first Celtic player since Gary Hooper in 2013 to have scored 20 goals in three consecutive seasons for the club.

Lennon waxed lyrical about the striker, but also reserved praise for left-back Greg Taylor.

Speaking to Sky Sports after his team’s 2-1 win, Lennon said: “Odsonne was back to his very best, not just his goalscoring but his play in general, particularly in the second half, was really, really good.

“There were a lot of good individual performances. Greg Taylor had another fine game, the atmosphere is good and that obviously comes from winning games.

“He (Edouard) was a little bit lacking that sharpness but in the second half he really came into his own.

“I thought his link up play, his positional play, was good. His two finishes were absolutely class, the first goal he needs do more often and get across the front post.

“There was an opportunity to do that first half and we had a quick word to him about it.

“He will score more goals if he does that, it’s a real striker’s goal and then the second goal is a brilliantly worked team goal and he shows composure at the end of it.

“He showed a lot of class and composure in the second half.”

On the team’s performance, Lennon said: “I thought some of the football we played on a real sticky pitch was top drawer.

“Look, the players have had that in abundance over the years, they are in a good place at the minute.

“I think they believed they would win the game and that proved to be the case, but we had to work for it.

“To come here and play as well as that and win the game is very pleasing. “