LANDRY N'GUEMO today vowed to help Celtic start killing off opposition teams sooner - so they can spare the frayed nerves of their long-suffering fans.

Hoops supporters are still recovering from their club's nail-biting 2-1 victory over Hearts in an SPL clash at Parkhead on Sunday.

Tony Mowbray's men may have won the game to edge two points clear of Rangers at the top of the league table - but it took a Glenn Loovens goal in the third minute of stoppage time to do so.

It is not, too, the only occasion during the early stages of the 2008/09 campaign that Celtic have made their tens of thousands of devoted followers sweat to the final whistle.

They produced a real backs-to-the-wall performance against Hibs at Easter Road last month before edging their way to a narrow 1-0 triumph courtesy of a Georgios Samaras strike.

And last week they squandered an early one-goal lead against Hapoel Tel Aviv in their first Europa League showdown over in Israel and lost the tie in the final 10 minutes.

The Celtic fans who travel to Falkirk for their team's first Co-op Insurance Cup game this evening will be hoping their heroes can halt the alarming trait in some style.

And N'Guemo, struggling to reclaim top form after making a bright start to his career in Scotland, reckons doing so is imperative to his team's chances of claiming silverware this term.

Speaking in his pidgin English, the Cameroon midfielder stated: "I was happy with the performance of the team (against Hearts). We only won by one goal but, at the end of the day, it was enough to get us the result we needed.

"The most important thing was to win the game and we managed to do that. Now we have to score more goals so that we don't have to endure such a difficult finish to games. We are working on this all the time in training.

"I think the manager is happy with the fight that we are showing in games. He is happy with how determined we are to win games. But we have to start being more clinical up front and taking our chances when they come along."

He went on: "The game against Hearts is another warning for us. We have to understand that all the games are going to be difficult, no matter who we play against. We have to play well and score goals in all of our games.

"We scored five goals in one game we played this season (in the 5-2 victory over St Johnstone at home last month) and three goals in another (against Aberdeen in the opening game at Pittodrie). It is important that we work hard and try to do that in every game that we play."

N'Guemo, who joined Celtic from French club Nancy in the summer, feels his new side can certainly supply front men Chris Killen, Scott McDonald and Samaras with the ammunition they need to score on a regular basis.

For the diminutive 23-year-old has been hugely impressed with the ability, athleticism and burning desire to succeed of his fellow Hoops midfielder Aiden McGeady since he arrived in this country.

And he reckons Mowbray's men could have been even further ahead of their Old Firm rivals at the head of the league table if McGeady had been available in the 1-1 draw with Dundee United earlier this month.

Of the Republic of Ireland internationalist, he enthused: "Aiden is a guy who likes to play football. He helps us to win games. Sometimes it can be hard against teams, but you can always rely on Aiden to pop up and do something.

"He is not a hard player, he is a good player, and he was unlucky to get sent off against Hibs. It is unfortunate that we had to do without him in the Dundee game. We are happy to have him back in the team after his ordering-off."

Another man N'Guemo is pleased to have alongside him in the starting XI is talismanic keeper Artur Boruc who has put his well-documented problems off the park behind him and is enjoying a rich vein of form.

Although he could perhaps have done better at Suso Santana's opening goal, the Polish stopper was once again outstanding against Csaba Laszlo's side on Sunday and kept his team in it with a string of fine blocks.

And the three-times capped player is hoping he can keep his good run going against adversaries who are bottom of the SPL after five games and will be desperate to lift their spirits with a giant-killing cup triumph.

He said: "Artur is a very strong player, perhaps the best goalkeeper I have ever played with. He communicates well with the rest of the team and we are happy to have him in the goals for us. He makes a big difference to the team."