Mulgrew's mistake allowed Motherwell to open the scoring

Neil Lennon will read the riot act to his table-topping Celtic players after their 2-0 defeat by Motherwell allowed second-top Rangers to narrow the gap.

"We were poor defensively, we were poor in midfield and we were poor going forward," said the Celtic manager.

"So that's something we will have to address very quickly.

"I will have to look at it, analyse it and I will have to sit down with the players individually and collectively and tell them it is not acceptable."

Celtic had gone into the game on a high after last Sunday's 3-0 win over Rangers extended their lead to eight points over the reigning Scottish champions.

"Maybe they have had nice things said about them this week and they believe in their own hype and maybe that's an eye-opener for them.

"No excuses, we were second best. We were poor.

I think we were a little bit complacent. It is a wake-up call Celtic winger Kris Commons

"We started the game poorly and never really got a foothold in the game at any time. You have to credit Motherwell for that.

"They had good energy in their team and they looked the hungrier side, which is something I can't point at my players that often and we gifted them two goals."

Celtic, now five points clear after Rangers' 4-0 win over St Johnstone, fell behind after a mistake by Charlie Mulgrew allowed John Sutton to give Motherwell an early lead.

Sutton added a second shortly after the break from the penalty spot after Emilio Izaguirre fouled Keith Lasley.

But Lennon insisted that the whole team had to take the blame for Motherwell ending Celtic's 17-game unbeaten run.

"The first goal from our point of view is awful and Emilio was on the wrong side for the second goal - and any time you try to make a challenge from that side, it normally results in a free-kick or penalty and that's what happens.

"It was a bad day. I am not happy at all and I have made that pretty clear to the players afterwards and they will have to go again.

"It is nowhere near where we have been over the last couple of months.

"I am not going to be over-critical of them or single out individuals. It was a team effort and a poor team effort."

Lennon, though, stressed that he expected his side to bounce back to form when they face Rangers in Wednesday's Scottish Cup fifth-round replay at Celtic Park.

"I have been here myself many times and every game is a tough game from here on in," he said.

"To be fair to the players, every time we have had a poor result or performance, they have reacted very well and I will be looking for the same this week.

"All the good work of last week was probably undone today, but there is plenty of to-ing and fro-ing to go before now and the end of the season."

Celtic winger Kris Commons thought that the players had underestimated Motherwell.

"I think we were a little bit complacent," he said.

"A misunderstanding between a centre-half and the goalkeeper cost us and, instead of bouncing back, we gave away another sloppy goal.

"The spark wasn't there. Usually you maybe have two or three players who are not quite at the races but to have 14 who weren't at 100% was the disappointing thing.

"It is a wake-up call, you can't just turn up and play, you have to work hard."

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