Brendan Rodgers suggested Motherwell should have allowed Celtic to score in order to "redeem themselves" after they netted in controversial circumstances.

Celtic had put the ball out to allow Ryan Christie to receive treatment, but from the restart Motherwell kept it and scored through Gboly Ariyibi.

"It's there to be done. It's a goal that shouldn't have stood so you have a chance to do something about it.

"Unfortunately for the game it didn't happen," he said after the 4-1 win.

Ariyibi's goal pulled the score back to 2-1 in the Scottish Premiership match after Scott Sinclair and Odsonne Edouard had given Celtic a half-time lead.

Motherwell pushed for an equaliser, but late goals from Edouard and Oli Burke settled it.

"It was a really disappointing act on a football pitch," said Rodgers of the moment James Scott kept the ball from the throw-in.

"My players, they've had a tough game on Thursday [losing 1-0 to Valencia], playing virtually an hour with 10 men, coming into a tough game today, against a team that's doing very well, go 2-0 up, good goals, good quality - so to have that control in the game, then to have that goal against you.

"Sometimes the referees up here have criticism but today the criticism goes to players because it wasn't a good act at all.

"And Motherwell have the chance to redeem themselves and maybe let us score but it isn't the case, they want to play on and push for an equaliser."

Christie had to be taken off in the incident after appearing to pull his hamstring, and Rodgers said he was "proud" of the players' response.

He said: "My only disappointment is it's a goal against our players that they didn't deserve because they were heroic in how they worked, everything got put into the game and they take pride in not conceding.

"We had to put every ounce of energy and spirit into the game and at 2-1 there's always the chance something could go against you."

Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson said the incident would overshadow what had been a good performance from his side, who also lost Tom Aldred and Carl McHugh to head injuries, the latter being taken to hospital.

"In truth, I didn't know what to do," Robinson told BBC Scotland after Scott refused to give the ball back.

"You've got a young boy, starting his first game, 18 years of age, on a couple of hundred quid a week, great prospect, super, super boy that we have real high hopes for.

"He got caught up in the occasion. It shouldn't have happened but it did and he'll recover from that. He's going to be a top, top footballer.

"It'll deflect from how good a performance we put in. There's so many good things in that game. Did we deserve to lose 4-1? No, we didn't."