CELTIC manager Neil Lennon has insisted that Leigh Griffiths was the victim of “unsavoury abuse” from a section of the Kilmarnock support and maintained that the striker does not have a case to answer.

Griffiths was accused of throwing the taping off his socks in the direction of a Rugby Park supporter after he was replaced by Mikey Johnston with 10 minutes remaining of Celtic’s 3-1 win over Kilmarnock.

It sparked an angry melee between a small section of the home support and the Celtic bench but Lennon has exonerated Griffiths of any wrongdoing.

Glasgow Times:

“He was getting a lot of unsavoury abuse which was totally uncalled for,” said the Celtic manager. “He was backed up by myself and his team-mates on the bench.

“He always seems to get controversy surrounding him but I’ll back him to the hilt on this one. His behaviour tonight was top class as was his performance.

“The kid had played well, he hadn’t got himself into any bother on the pitch. He goes and sits down and gets abuse from supporters. In this day and age, we have to accept that and behave in a sanitised way. He did. You’re looking for a story that’s just not there.”