Lennon cool on treble chance

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6 February 2012-PA Sport

Neil Lennon might wish to play it down but he watched his Celtic side take another confident step towards the treble with a 2-0 Scottish Cup fifth-round win at Inverness.

Celtic cruises into cup quarters

A first-half strike from striker Georgios Samaras and a second-half spot kick from Scott Brown, which made it three goals in three games for the rejuvenated Hoops skipper, eased the cup holders into Monday's draw at Hampden.

Celtic is already in the final of the Scottish Communities League Cup final where it will play Kilmarnock at Hampden next month, and is one point above Rangers at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League with a game in hand.

And having gone 15 domestic games unbeaten the Parkhead men are in fine fettle ahead of their SPL game against Hearts at Tynecastle in midweek, the scene of their last SPL defeat in October.

Lennon said: "Things can change very quickly but we are really pleased with where we are at the minute.

"It was the toughest tie we probably could have had, apart from being at Ibrox, so I'm thrilled to get through it.

"We wanted to be in all the competitions at the end of yesterday, that was the remit before the game, and we are so it's good.

"But there is a long way to go yet."

Once again the Irishman showed that he was unafraid to make changes to a winning team.

Defenders Adam Matthews and Kelvin Wilson, midfielder Kris Commons and Samaras came in for Cha Du-ri, Emilio Izaguirre, James Forrest and Anthony Stokes, the latter two starting on the bench.

The former Celtic skipper, though, appeared sensitive to the suggestion that he had changed virtually half his team.

"I didn't change half the team," he said. "I made four changes. Is that half the team?

"You keep questioning the selection but I didn't pick the team until I had a look at the pitch and the conditions.

"I felt it was the best way to go in terms of matching their pace going forward and we needed an 'out ball' at the top end of the pitch.

"I thought Samaras did that for us and I thought (Kelvin) Wilson and (Adam) Matthews did that at the other end of the pitch.

"Kris still has a bit to do to get where we want him to be but he is a very important player and he will be in the run-in."