Penalty decision, Jonjoe, Albian, The Captain

Jonjoe Kenny made it all look so simple.  Cross after cross arrived from the right with a frequency and competence we have not seen all season.    Stephen Welsh was no slouch either.  The 21-year-old central defender stuck to task, allowing the rest of the defence to concentrate on their own jobs.

The captain delivered a vintage performance for his return to the team.  Scott Brown’s form is well off his peak, but rested, he is capable of reliving former heights.   The legs may have gone but last night’s performance was a demonstration of leadership.  He could also coach a few taller players in the team above movement and attacking the ball at corner kicks.

The penalty decision was ridiculous.  Alan Power clearly took the legs from Odsonne Edouard without going anywhere near the ball.  The decision was so clear-cut, referee Kevin Clancy must have had difficulty believing his eyes that such a blatant foul happened.  Fortunately it did not affect the result.

Post-match we got an insight into some of the deeper layers of Neil Lennon’s season.  Scoring on a rare start, Albian Ajeti’s “Work ethic hasn’t been good enough. He knows that and he’s changed that now.”  Which is good.

The manager also said Olivier Ntcham “Was a bit fed up and indifferent about the Scottish game and I think he wanted a new challenge, like a few of them have maintained since the start of the season. It’s a difficult thing to claw them back in.”

Work ethic and indifference, the traumas of being young and wealthy in a global crisis.  Hmmm.

It was only Kilmarnock, who were mostly awful, but we have deservedly lost to worse teams this season.  I expect to receive fewer “will not finish second” texts, for a few days, anyway.  You know who you are!