The former Motherwell player, who had recovered from a groin injury, was one of four changes to the side which lost 4-2 to Rangers in their last outing.

Spanish playmaker Marc Crosas made his starting debut alongside the returning Barry Robson, aided by Shaun Maloney who dropped back to midfield.

Shunsuke Nakamura and Aiden McGeady dropped to the bench with Paul Hartley out of the squad altogether.

Lee Naylor returned to left-back with Mark Wilson moving to right-back to replace Andreas Hinkel, who also failed to make the bench.

Motherwell kept the same side which beat Hibernian 1-0 at Fir Park before the international break, with manager Mark McGhee retaining his three-man attack of John Sutton, Chris Porter and David Clarkson.

The visitors started with impressive purpose and pace and found themselves two goals up with only eight minutes played.

In the fifth minute, midfielder Scott Brown worked a one-two of sorts with Georgios Samaras on the right-hand side and when his low cross sped across the Motherwell six-yard box leaving goalkeeper Graeme Smith stranded, Maloney was able to prod the ball in to an empty net at the back post.

Three minutes later, with the home defence still trying to compose themselves, Samaras took a McDonald pass, brushed past the flailing Fir Park defender Mark Reynolds with ease and slotted the ball past Smith from 12 yards out.

Brown was next to try his luck in the 17th minute, taking the ball from McDonald at the edge of the box and driving low past Smith's left-hand post.

There was more misery to come for Motherwell when McDonald took a Wilson throw-in, spun and volleyed high past Smith from 16 yards out.

The Parkhead side were superior in every area of the pitch and promised more goals each time they moved forward.

Porter had the ball in the Celtic net just before the half-hour mark following a corner but was ruled offside.

Celtic were in complete control but Artur Boruc had to be quick off his line in the 33rd minute to deny Sutton after the former St Mirren striker had linked up well with Clarkson.

At the other end, Samaras mis-kicked altogether just 14 yards out after taking a Maloney pass.

In the 37th minute, after Brown was fouled by Paul Quinn at the edge of the Motherwell box, Maloney cracked the bar with the resultant free-kick.

But the rampant champions were not to be denied and in the 41st minute, Samaras finished off a seven-man move by racing on to a McDonald flick to bury the ball past Smith.

Celtic should have been five ahead three minutes after the restart when Brown set up Maloney but the former Aston Villa man tried to walk the ball in to the net and was eventually thwarted.

There looked no way back for Motherwell but Sutton pulled a goal back in the 55th minute after midfielder Keith Lasley had put Hoops defender Gary Caldwell under pressure in the box, the former St Mirren man driving past Boruc from 14 yards.

Two minutes later, the home side reduced the deficit further when Stephen Hughes sent David Clarkson through and the Scotland striker held off Celtic skipper Stephen McManus to toe-poke the ball under Boruc.

The tide had turned, the Fir Park men were in the ascendancy and following a whipped-in cross from Hughes, Chris Porter had a point-blank header saved by Boruc.

Celtic had lost their impetus but with a two-goal lead, the points still seemed secure.

In the 78th minute Boruc produced a brilliant reflex save from a Clarkson header seconds before Porter failed to connect properly in front of goal, the ball skidding wide of the target.

Motherwell, though, lost belief in the final minutes and Celtic ran out comfortable winners, deserving the three points for their first-half performance alone.