The Hoops' faint hopes of catching Rangers at the top of the SPL were all but ended with their first league defeat in Paisley in 21 years.

In the most dramatic of nights, doubles by Andy Dorman and Steven Thomson ripped apart the beleaguered visitors who finished the game with six attackers on the park.

The Parkhead side remain 10 points behind their Ibrox rivals who have two games in hand.

It was Mowbray's 13th defeat of the season but when asked about his own position, he replied: "I don't think I want to get into that tonight. I don't think it's a pertinent question.

"I've explained the game, in trying to be positive we lost a few goals. I take responsibility.

"I left some very young defenders exposed but it was done for the right reasons. You can look as deep into the result as you want and it's obviously not a great result but there were positive reasons why it was a negative result.

"We tried to be positive with the substitution and we suffered at the other end.

"You are either a brave coach or a negative coach. If you make those substitutions and it's 3-2 then it's the right thing to do.

"Make those substitutions and you lose two goals then it's the wrong thing to do. I understand that.

"Obviously it is a disappointing result but I can understand it in the way that we ended up with six strikers on the pitch.

"It's my nature as a coach, I try to be positive. I am never happy to be two goals down and by trying to get goals back and we made positive substitutions.

"Sometimes it can backfire and you have to take it on the chin."

The travelling fans sloped out of the stadium barely able to muster jeers but Mowbray said: "This club has got millions of fans all over the world, some will see what I am trying to do, some won't.

"I understand that, it's the nature of the job.

"I think the fans will be disappointed at the scoreline but the reasons were positive reasons and hopefully the supporters will understand the reasons."

mfl

After the disappointment of losing Sunday's Co-operative Insurance Cup final to nine-man Rangers at Hampden, few Buddies fans would have predicted their first home league win over Celtic since 1989.

Manager Gus MacPherson, however, tried to play down the remarkable result which took his side five points clear of bottom side Falkirk.

He said: "We played extremely well and don't think we got the credit we deserved at Hampden.

"There were some ridiculous headlines and we had the opportunity to do our talking on the park again.

"But it's just one game, that's really all it is - three points.

"The frustration has been that we have drawn far too many games at home, but tonight we took our chances and the goalkeeper makes crucial saves at crucial times and we get the three points.

"It's just three points, that's all it is. It makes a difference to the goal difference, because we've had criticism in that department - but it's just three points.

"It's just shown us what the players are capable of doing. We've shown it this season - at home especially.

"We've created good chances in games and not taken them. If you take your chances you can gain confidence from it."