We showed Celtic a bit too much respect, admits Motherwell’s Chris Cadden

GUTTED Chris Cadden last night admitted Motherwell showed Celtic too much respect at Hampden.

Rough-and-tumble Well have been at their best this season when they have taken the fight to their opponents.

Against trophy-hogging Celtic, they started on their heels – and paid a heavy price.

“It didn’t go the way we imagined, it was a tough result,” said Cadden.

“We showed them too much respect in the first half.

“Obviously, they’re a good team, they’ve spent a lot of money, they’ve got guys on good money as well.

“They deserve some amount of respect.

“But that’s not really our game – showing people respect – we’ve got to get into people’s faces and we didn’t do that, first half.

“We did it more second half, but by then it was too late.

“I don’t know why we started like that. It wasn’t nerves because we’ve been here before and we know what it’s about.”

Asked whether Celtic had upped their game in pursuit of their second successive domestic treble, Cadden said: “They won the league pretty comfortably so they’ve been good all season.

“They didn’t want it more than us. You can see our boys, we’re gutted for the fans, for everybody.

“We wanted it as well, just as much as them.”

The Steelmen emerged for the second half a team transformed.

Their rediscovered battling spirit saw them batter out a string of chances.

As far as Cadden is concerned, that was down to gaffer Stephen Robinson.

“He gave us a rocket,” revealed the Well star.

“He said, ‘There’s 45 minutes left of the season, you’ve got to go and leave it all on the pitch, no regrets’.

“He told us if we end up getting beat, then we get beat, but run your socks off and see what happens.

“We needed a bit of luck on a couple occasions.

“Especially when you’re playing a team like Celtic, they’re a good team, you need that, and luck wasn’t on our side today.”

Cadden at least has Scotland’s trip to South America to look forward to over the next 48 hours.

But first he intends to watch his brother, Nicky, attempt to join him in the Premiership with Livingston tomorrow.

He said: “I’m going to need to pick myself up now.

“I’m still emotional, I’ve not really thought about Scotland, if I’m honest.

“It was good at the time, getting the call-up, but I’ve been keeping my head in the Cup Final.

“I’ll console myself tonight with my family, then I’ll look toward joining up with Scotland on Sunday.

“It’s good to have that to look forward to, getting away and seeing what it’s all about.

“It’s my first call-up so it’s a real honour for me to get.

“It was out of the blue but I’ve had a good season.

“It’s not something I ever really thought about, I just kept working hard, but it shows hard work pays off.”

Loan star Tom Aldred echoed Cadden’s sentiments, admitting Motherwell left Hampden full of regrets.

He said: “It’s a tough one to take. It’s definitely a case of: ‘What if?’

“You don’t want to have regrets in games like these but today we have got regrets.”

Aldred will now head back to parent club Bury, where he has a year to run on his contract.

But the defender is keeping his hopes alive of a permanent move to Fir Park.

“I’ve been here for six months and enjoyed every minute of it,” he said.

“I’ve loved it but, unfortunately, there isn’t a happy ending.

“I have another year at Bury so we will see what happens.

“We are trying to sort something out with Motherwell so we will see how that goes.”