MOTHERWELL manager Steven Hammell was frustrated with his Motherwell players after they went down narrowly to Celtic, saying they should have prevented Reo Hatate’s wonder-strike that won the game.

Hammell was annoyed that his men failed to close down Hatate before he cracked the ball past Liam Kelly from outside the area, saying they had been warned about the corner routine that Celtic executed in order for the midfielder to get his shot away.

"It's something we'd highlighted,” Hammell said. “It's a corner routine that they do - they'll take two out and miss one and hit that space at the edge of the box. We've showed it - they've done it quickly, which we've showed, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to us.

“He's got to score from 25 yards, which is difficult, but that's the difference, the big moments in the game.

“We’re coming away disappointed. I feel frustrated a little bit. I felt especially in the latter part of the game we posed some threats there, but in the big moments and the fine details and the fine chances when you come to places like this need to be better.

“I feel that that was the difference.”

Hammell’s frustrations were compounded by the cynical red card picked up by Callum McGregor, the Celtic captain hauling down Ross Tierney when he looked likely to score a late leveller for the Steelmen.

“It was a good red card from their point of view I feel, Ross Tierney is in for sure and Joe Hart was in a bit of a no man’s land,” he said.

“I feel like whenever we stretched them and pressed properly and got after the ball we caused them problems, but the plan was to come away from here with something and we’ve not, and that’s where the disappointment comes from.”