Not since Lisbon Lion Stevie Chalmers scored three goals in a 5-1 win over Rangers in 1966 has a Celtic player notched a hat-trick in a home league game against the Ibrox men.

McDonald's first-half double, which was cancelled out by goals from David Weir and Daniel Cousin, gave him plenty of time to replicate that feat.

However, the Australia international passed up a great chance to grab his third after the break when, despite being through on goal, he squared the ball to Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink who was dispossessed by Ibrox defender Sasa Papac.

The 24-year-old also stepped aside to let midfielder Barry Robson take the decisive penalty after the former Motherwell striker had been bundled to the ground by hapless Ibrox defender Kirk Broadfoot.

McDonald, who took his tally for the season to 29, was glad to get his first Old Firm goal after missing a penalty in the 2-1 win over Rangers less than a fortnight ago.

But he claimed the match ball was just out of his reach.

He said: "I guess you could say it was great to get that monkey off my back, especially after missing a penalty against them in the last game.

"But in the case of the penalty, Barry had said before the game, 'I'm taking them', and that was that. I was thinking about the hat-trick but he was proved right.

"But the boys gave me some stick about the pass I gave to Jan. It's one of those situations where, if you shoot and miss, then people say, 'why didn't you cut it back'?

"I saw Jan all by himself and I don't know which Rangers player got back to take it off him but he did well.

"It was just unfortunate that we didn't take advantage of that."

Victory took Celtic five points clear of Rangers at the top of the table although Walter Smith's side have three games in hand.

McDonald, who, as a Fir Park player, famously scored a double against Celtic on the last day of the season three years ago to hand Rangers the title, is desperate to make amends and help his new club win the title.

He said: "Winning the title would mean the world to me.

"When I missed the penalty against Rangers last week, people might have said, 'here we go again'.

"So from my point of view it was pleasing to set up the winner in that game and then to score yesterday."