League loss spurred on Bhoys

Celtic captain Scott Brown feels Saturday's Scottish Cup success has clawed back some 'dignity' for the side after losing out to Rangers in the Scottish Premier League last weekend.

The Bhoys brushed aside the challenge of Motherwell at Hampden Park, running out 3-0 winners with goals from Ki Sung-yong and Charlie Mulgrew, either side of a Stephen Craigan own goal.

The triumph adds a silver lining to an otherwise cloudy season and Brown, who lifted his first trophy as club captain, insists the win was by no means a stroll in the park.

"There was a lot of pressure going into the game," he told Sky Sports HD2.

"We were favourites, you never know what is going to happen but at the end of the day we've won the cup and that's the main thing.

"It means a lot, but it's not just about me it's for the fans, the backroom staff and all the other players as well. After we lost the league this is what we wanted and it gives us a little bit of dignity back.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon is set for showdown talks with the club's board in the coming weeks and Brown has handed the Northern Irishman his backing.

Lennon backing

He added: "Hopefully he stays, we all want him to, all the supporters want him to - it'd be great for the club."

Winger Kris Commons echoed his captain's claims: "I've heard rumours he's going to get a long-term deal and that'd be brilliant for us."

Commons also had kind words for Celtic fans: "When you play at Celtic, you have to win silverware and to win the cup is magnificent and you can see what it means to them (the supporters).

"(They're) the world's best, without a shadow of a doubt. People travel from all over the world to watch us. They're a credit to us.

"It sends us into next season on a high and it makes up a little bit for losing out on the league."

Ki, who opened the scoring with a stunning left-foot drive, says belief prevailed against Stuart McCall's side.

"We believed in ourselves and knew our quality was much stronger than Motherwell's," he said. "It's an unbelievable performance from all the boys.

"We are a little bit disappointed because we didn't win the league, but before the game we said we would play for the fans and play for ourselves so we finish the season with a big trophy."