NEIL LENNON hailed forward Mohamed Elyounoussi after the Celtic attacker defied the critics to score a hat-trick in Sunday’s 4-1 Premiership win over Motherwell at Fir Park.

The Parkhead boss had found himself under pressure and his players heavily criticised after a painful 4-1 Europa League defeat by Sparta Prague at home on Thursday night.

On a night the Scottish champions slumped to the bottom of Group H with one point from nine, the Norway international – on loan from Southampton – was spotted on his phone after being substituted, explaining later he was looking at the other group game result between AC Milan and Lille.

Elyounoussi was on top form in Lanarkshire as he put Celtic in control with a first-half double.

Well defender Declan Gallagher reduced the deficit in the 72nd minute but Elyounoussi sealed his hat-trick three minutes later to take his Hoops tally to 11 for the season before late second-half substitute Olivier Ntcham added a fourth.

Lennon said: “I got what I wanted today. Elyounoussi scored a hat-trick today after being criticised unreasonably for looking at a result on his phone the other night.

“I think that’s unfair but he has responded in the right way. We asked him at half-time to go and get the hat-trick he didn’t get in Lille and it was a brilliant third goal.”