Hoops defender Erik Sviatchenko has offered a metaphorical pat on the back to Moussa Dembele after the 20-year-old Frenchman teed up Leigh Griffiths during the mid-week win over Accies.

Dembele, with 17 goals so far this season, has kept the Scotland striker on the bench but since returning from international duty last month, the former Fulham forward has been off the boil in comparison with the standard he set for himself in the early part of the season.

From the beginning of November Dembele has scored just twice, with both goals coming from the spot – against Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany and then against Aberdeen in the League Cup Final.

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The fact he put it on a plate for his colleague did not escape Sviatchenko.

“It showed something of Moussa’s character,” said the Dane. “He has been scoring goals all season and showing some great little bits of skill but it definitely said something about him the way he played Griff in.

“Leigh has come in for the last two games and has been excellent and it is great for the team to see that spirit. I don’t know if you read a lot about our team with just one moment but for me that said a lot. It showed an unselfishness but also a maturity. We are all winners.

“We all want to win football matches and be successful here and if that showed anything it is that we are playing for a team and not for ourselves.”

Celtic’s win over Accies was faltering in comparison with the fluency that the Hoops fans have come to expect this season, but the three points has taken them 11 points clear of second-placed Rangers and with two games in hand.

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This month is hectic with another five games to go before there is a breather. However, while Celtic looked tired last night, Sviatchenko has insisted that the run of games is something that the Parkhead side are relishing.

“There are a lot of games this month for us but we are quite lucky too; we have a lot of games here at home so there is not a lot of travelling for us,” he said. “It is nice that we are not on the road too often and although there are a lot of games, I don’t think you will find any of us complaining.

“If we come out of them well and win them, which is obviously what we want to do, then we will put ourselves in a very strong position as we come back from the mid-winter break.”

Brendan Rodgers has enjoyed the best domestic start to his Celtic career than any previous Hoops boss, with the Northern Irishman going 19 games unbeaten so far.

Rodgers himself brushed off the accolade and Sviatchenko echoed his sentiments, insisting that Celtic are in in no mood to take their foot off the pedal.

“We are so proud of it but it is just a step towards something that we want to achieve as a group,” said the 25-year-old. “The manager has emphasised to us that it is always about moving on and never being satisfied with where you are.

“So we have gone 19 games without being beaten in Scotland so now we want to get to 20, to 21, to 22…we are almost facing ourselves at times because some of it is all about proving to ourselves that we can keep pushing the bar higher and higher. “

Celtic won ugly the other night which has been an uncharacteristic route to the points since Rodgers arrived at the club.

For Sviatchenko, though, there was an important lesson not only in his own approach to games but also in the fact that Celtic were able to dig out a result.

“These types of games can be tough, especially when we are 1-0 up and it is about small details,” he said.

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“Personally I felt I was guilty of some sloppy passes and there were a lot of things that I felt I needed to improve upon. That is what happens when you lose some concentration and I felt that was what happened with me against Hamilton. The manager talks all the time about being focussed and being relentless and this is why – if you keep the same attitude then the standard doesn’t slip.

“We have showed that we are capable of winning in way that maybe other times we might have lost points.

“Sometimes you have to accept that it is not always going to be as polished as you want it to be. In some ways that is the beauty of football and it is interesting that we can win that way too. We were tired but we were able to dig deep and find that inner fight in us to keep pushing on.”