Hamilton Accies defender Scott Martin joked that it was his Dad who was handing out the awards for Saturday's game after taking the sponsor's man of the match award. Martin deflected a Scott Sinclair header - which looked to be drifting wide - into his own net for the definitive second goal of the game at the weekend before then giving away a foul on the Celtic winger which led to Griffiths' free-kick as the Parkhead side eased to an easy win.

“It was a bit strange," he admitted. "The rest of the lads are asking me if it was my Dad who selected the man of the match!

“It’s a bitter-sweet moment, to be fair. I support Celtic, so to get the Man of the Match award against them from whoever picked it is a privilege. It was a real privilege to be on the same pitch as some of those Celtic players. “Celtic upped the gears in the second half when we started to tire a bit. I thought the boys gave a good account of themselves. We stuck in the game until the second goal went in.

“I’ve got to hold my hands up for that [Sinclair's goal]. I’ve thrown up a bit of a lazy leg at the ball and that’s what has put Gary Woods off. I’ve told the boys that one is down to me.

“I don’t think it goes in if I don’t touch it. It was one of those situations where I felt if I got enough contact on the ball I could clear it. But it was just a lazy leg, so I have apologised for that.

“It was similar to the plan we had against Rangers, to try and frustrate them, nick the ball as high as we can and then break.

“We stuck to the game plan really well but didn’t create as many chances as we would have liked." As disappointing an afternoon as it was for Martin Canning's side, there can be little time for them to lick their wounds. Accies play St Mirren next weekend before then facing up to fellow strugglers Dundee and these are the games that will be particularly prescient for their league ambitions. "Next week and the games after that are the really important ones for us in terms of where we are in the league," he said. "Hopefully we can put in the kind of performance which will get us the result we need.

“We can’t go into any game thinking we are going to lose. We stuck to the game plan against Celtic, thinking we could get something out of it.

“If players go out thinking they can’t win a game, then they are not right for the club. We intended to try and get a wee upset.

“But the games we are judged on and which will determine where we are in the league are ones like the next two, really."