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Scott Brown is confident that his team can bounce back after a recent defeat to Hibs. Lynne Cameron/PA Wire
Hoop Dreams

Brown backs Celtic to get back to winning ways

The league leaders were beaten 1-0 by Hibernian on Saturday and next face in-form Ross County.

CELTIC CAPTAIN SCOTT BROWN says the club will look to head into the Scottish Premier League winter break with a victory against Motherwell tomorrow.

The Parkhead side’s five-game winning run came to an abrupt end on Saturday when Hibernian defeated Neil Lennon’s side 1-0 at Easter Road.

The Hoops had been in good form before the loss to the Edinburgh side and still hold a six point lead, with a game in hand, at the top of the SPL table.

Brown hopes the defeat was just a minor blip which they can rectify when third-placed Motherwell visit Parkhead.

“Hibs stopped our unbeaten record but we need to get the mentality of winning back when we play at Celtic Park on Wednesday,” the Scotland midfielder said.

“Hopefully it will get our confidence back up – we played really well against Hibs, we just didn’t have the quality in the last third.

“They scored an early goal and that killed us off. But we had about 75 per cent of the possession in the second half, and had our chances, we just couldn’t finish.”

In-form County

The visitors on Wednesday have only lost once in their past nine matches on their charge up the table to third.

And after tasting defeat to fourth-placed Hibs, Brown knows his side will need to be wary of Stuart McCall’s side.

“They’re doing really well,” he said. “They started their season really well then had a dip, but they’re going well again so we know it will be a tough game.

“It will be hard but hopefully there will be a big crowd and we can get back to winning ways,” he added.

The league’s far from over but we’re a few points clear and still have a game in hand so that’s going to help us. It’s definitely not done and dusted, it showed against Hibs that it’s hard no matter where you go, home or away.

“It’s been hard for us recently, at home, but we have to kick on with our home form and get it back to being a hard place to come to.”

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Ross County entertain second-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the highland derby at Victoria Park. Aberdeen take on Dundee United at Pittodrie, St Johnstone welcome Dundee to McDiarmid Park and St Mirren face Kilmarnock.

Jambos v Hibs

On Thursday, Hearts entertain Hibernian in the Edinburgh derby.

Hibs head into the game on a high after their win over league leaders Celtic and also claimed their first derby win in nearly three years when they knocked the Jambos out the Scottish Cup at the beginning of December.

Striker Eoin Doyle believes Hearts will be apprehensive about the match.

“We’re a good team – Celtic are a cut above, but everyone else is on a level,” the Irishman said.

“After winning this it will put us in a good frame of mind for Thursday, and I’m sure Hearts will be a bit nervous about it.

It’s a derby game and these are the ones you want to play in. Motivation doesn’t come into it and I’m sure we can put in a good performance.

“The Celtic game was a good one for any neutral at the ground and we move on to Hearts,” Doyle commented.

“This win is a good positive and another victory is what we’re looking to achieve on Thursday.”

- © AFP, 2012

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