GRIFF’S ‘DIFFICULT POSITION’, GORDON

CRAIG GORDON has talked about Leigh Griffiths’ “difficult position” at Celtic.

The striker, who has been a substitute in the last three games, came off the bench to score the winner against Rosenborg in the opening game in Europa League Group B at Parkhead last night.

There were only three minutes remaining when Dedryck Boyata leapt high to direct a Scott Brown long ball into the path of Griffiths and the 28-year-old striker did what he does best wish a flashing header beyond the helpless Andre Hansen.

The Hoops had been frustrated until Griffiths struck following his 76th-minute arrival for Odsonne Edouard, who had failed to spark in the lone marksman’s role.

Gordon was delighted for his Scotland international team-mate after his points-winning effort that puts the Hoops on three points alongside the Austrians of RB Salzburg who claimed a 3-2 win over RB Leipzig in Germany.

The goalkeeper said: “He got himself into a great position to get on the back of Dedryck’s knockdown. Dedryck did fantastically well, too, to get onto that and knock it into such a dangerous area. It was a great leap from him and then that is the type of striker that Leigh is.

“He gets into those situations and more often than not he puts them away.

“He is a goalscorer and he wants to play games. When he isn’t playing he isn’t happy and it is a difficult position.

“There are not too many strikers who can play every single game and forward players are rotated at times. Sometimes we play with one, sometimes we play with two and sometimes we look to him to come off the bench and make an impact – and that is exactly what he did.

“It was important to get the three points, especially at home. It wasn’t our best performance, but we have go the three points which was so vital.”