Devastated Stephen McManus stood inside Fir Park on Saturday afternoon desperately trying to pick positives from a game that ended in torment.

The Motherwell defender was left gutted along with his team-mates as the twice let slip of a lead over Ladbrokes Premiership cracks Celtic only to be hit with a late winner in the dying minutes.

It meant the Lanarkshire club, for all their endeavour, bravery and fine goals were left with nothing but pats on the back from the 4-3 defeat inflicted in the weekend's early kick off.

Mark McGhee's team should be proud of how they without doubt gave the runaway league leaders their toughest domestic test this season, but it was a notion that was of little comfort to the former Hoops defender as he picked over the bones of a dramatic near miss.

"To lose it the way we did is very difficult to take. I'm trying to spin it as positively as I can but ultimately when you look back we've lost the game," said McManus of Tom Rogic's 90th-minute winner.

"We'd have been bitterly disappointed to have drawn the game so to lose it right at the death was tough going.

"The one thing we wanted to do was come here and give Celtic a game. They have been excellent this year. Domestically and European wise they have been terrific.

"Brendan has them playing extremely well. That's what you get with a top manager. We wanted to have a right go at them and we did.

"In the second half when they changed their shape we found it a wee bit harder to cope and that's when they won the game.

"Knowing you can score goals against them isn't a consolation. You score three times at home against a good side you are hopefully going to take a point."

This barnstormer will have given many of the other teams in the Premiership hope that Brendan Rodgers' team can be got at.

Going into the game at Fir Park, Celtic hadn't conceded a goal on league duty for six games. By the time this one was done, Craig Gordon had picked the ball out of his net three times, including in the third minute when Louis Moult put the hosts 1-0 up.

"It was a great start. We played well, worked hard and got ourselves in good positions. We tried to stamp our authority on it," said McManus.

“Of course they can [be got at]. You’ve seen out qualities, you’ve seen Celtic’s qualities, you’ve seen our frailties, you’ve seen theirs.

“It’s great the game was on Sky Sports, it’s great you’ve seen a good spectacle, they’re the games people want to see.

“Young Ross MacLean came in for us, a terrific young player, Chris cadden played. There are young players at our club who have a real good future in the game.

“You want Scottish football to be positive and on the up. Brendan Rodgers has taken Celtic to a whole new level, which for the game is terrific."

Motherwell boss McGhee added: “To score three goals and not win the game is hugely disappointing and to play the way we did, especially in the first half, I thought we were fantastic and the goals we scored were of such quality."