CELTIC MANAGER BRENDAN Rodgers praised Ireland’s Adam Idah as the striker broke the club’s poor run of form from the penalty spot this season. 

Idah is spending the rest of the season on loan in Glasgow, and marked his first start by netting twice from the penalty spot in a crucial 2-1 win away to Hibernian last night. The result keeps Celtic three points clear of Rangers at the top of the league, though the latter have a game in hand. 

Three Celtic players have missed spot-kicks this season but the on-loan Norwich forward  continued his perfect career penalty record.

“He had taken six penalties before and scored a great penalty against Holland for the Republic of Ireland,” Rodgers said.

“You just see how he addresses it, he knows he’s a penalty taker. Against David Marshall, who has had a fantastic career, there is a psychological test there as well. And he came through that. It was a great night for him.”

Rodgers admitted his side lacked the creativity and finesse to capitalise on their first-half possession and the composure to play through Hibernian’s press after the interval.

“I said to the players before the game, listen, whatever has happened before, you have 14 games left.

“You’re not going to win the title tonight or lose it, but you can make a big psychological impact by coming away to a tough ground and winning.

“But what I never doubt about these players and I said to them before the game, to get through and win games, we need to play with heart and soul, and the players showed immense heart to play through to the very end and get the victory,” he added.

“We will play better. We have to play better. It’s not the level I want to see. But we will go away and analyse it and look to be better in our next game.”

With reporting by Gavin Cooney