Glasgow opens arms to Lennon

Neil Lennon must have winced when he heard his next appointment was a Glasgow derby. Fortunately, for Celtic's troubled midfield player, it was Partick Thistle and not Rangers who provided the welcome.

The man who was run out of Northern Ireland can walk to Firhill from his home in the city's leafy West End, but was probably wise not to yesterday. In the end, though, the strain of the last 72 hours told and Lennon found himself substituted after 65 minutes of typically honest toil.

The move turned out to be inspired, for Lennon's replacement, John Hartson, set up Henrik Larsson to plunder the winner seven minutes later on a day which proved to be anything but a stroll for the Scottish Premier League champions.

Lennon, however, later admitted to relief at bringing the curtain down on "the hardest week of my career." He had been accorded polite applause from the Partick supporters beforehand – "which was a nice change", acknowledged the man who needed a peroxide hairdo to stand out until the death threat he received last Wednesday from Loyalist fanatics in Belfast.

Lennon knows his move to Celtic prompted the hate which has scarred recent appearances for his country, and he also revealed that similar ugliness in Glasgow might force him to even think about leaving his beloved club.

Asked if he thought about quitting Celtic, he answered: "I've thought abut it briefly over the last few days. If these kind of things happen when I'm playing for Celtic, then I might have to reconsider."

Martin O'Neill, meanwhile, insisted that he never once thought about leaving Lennon out of yesterday's game, after his perilous trip to their native Northern Ireland. "Absolutely not," the Celtic manager declared. "It was important that he played but it has been a traumatic few days for him."

Lennon confirmed that he will not change his decision to quit international football, even though the Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy pleaded with him again on Friday.

"I didn't want this to keep raising its ugly head," Lennon said. "It was just one phone call but is that going to happen every time I go back? I have not slept over the last few days and today was a sort of release for me."

It had been six years since Celtic last visited Firhill. In that time, Thistle had dropped down two divisions and been on the verge of bankruptcy, but one priceless quality has always been plentiful – a wonderful humour.

A cheeky taunt of "there's only one team in Glasgow" rose up from the yellow and red contingent, revelling in the first big test of John Lambie's side since promotion.

A bold pre-match proclamation to play 3-4-3 evaporated in the sunshine as Celtic gradually took the sting out of Thistle's pressing.

Larsson carved the home side apart after 10 minutes with a sublime drag back before firing his shot inches wide and then Scott Paterson threw himself to deny Jackie McNamara's venomous drive. Celtic lacked their usual fluency, but twice before half-time Larsson glimpsed goal. He met Steve Guppy's 38th-minute cross perfectly but his diving header was beaten out by Kenny Arthur.

Minutes later, Larsson rolled the ball beyond the home goalkeeper after seizing on McNamara's deft set-up, but the Swede found only the side-netting.

The one-way traffic continued in the second half, but, to Celtic's frustration, few chances emerged. However, the arrival of Hartson brought the breakthrough in the 72nd minute. McNamara's pass was knocked on by Sutton into Hartson's path and the Welshman angled a lob across the face of goal for Larsson to chest it over the line.

Partick Thistle 0 Celtic 1
Larsson 72

Half-time: 0-0 Attendance: 8,053