A Scott McDonald double against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park took Celtic three points clear at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League and on course for their fourth title in a row.

The champions dominated the first half but Danny Invincibile's volley after 36 minutes cancelled out his fellow Australian's opener 10 minutes earlier.

Celtic huffed and puffed at times after the break but with 10 minutes remaining McDonald struck with a wonderful solo goal to ease the Parkhead side ahead of Rangers who sensationally lost to Inverness at Ibrox.

After losing a seven-point lead to their Old Firm rivals over recent weeks, Gordon Strachan's side have bounced back in fine fashion in their past two games against St Mirren and Killie and must be considered strong favourites to go all the way again.

The Parkhead side, indeed, started the game with impressive power and pace, threatening to blow the home side away.

McDonald came close to scoring in the third minute when he picked up a long, searching pass from Darren O'Dea and shrugged off Tim Clancy inside the Killie box before sending his shot from 16 yards just wide of the far post.

As Killie struggled to make their mark, midfielder Jamie Hamill was presented with a chance from a free-kick after Gary Caldwell had fouled Kevin Kyle 30 yards from goal.

But the midfielder's shot flew high and wide, as did Celtic midfielder Marc Crosas's effort from distance at the other end minutes later.

In the 19th minute, after Celtic striker Georgios Samaras was brought crashing to the ground by Rugby Park skipper Manuel Pascali, the home supporters held their breath until Shunsuke Nakamura's free-kick hit the wall before sailing over with the home side surviving the corner.

But in the 26th minute McDonald found the target to put the champions ahead.

The Australia international had yards of room inside the Killie box when Crosas picked him out with a quick pass and although Clancy came to challenge, he was turned easily before the ball was driven past Combe and in to the far corner of the net.

Moments later, Scott Brown burst in to the Killie box but his shot was blocked by the legs of Combe for a corner which came to nothing.

In the 32nd minute Combe again came to the rescue when he knocked Aiden McGeady's shot from 12 yards on to the crossbar after the Republic of Ireland midfielder had been set up with a great pass from Nakamura.

Seconds later, Celtic keeper Artur Boruc had to push a Hamill cross-cum-shot over the crossbar but in the 36th minute, from a more fruitful corner, Invincibile equalised.

Craig Bryson's corner from the left somehow made its way through a ruck of players to the Australian at the back post who beat the Poland international with a right-footed volley from eight yards out.

After struggling so badly in the early stages of the game, the Killie fans were sorry to hear the half-time whistle.

The Ayrshire side bounced out of the tunnel for the restart and in the 50th minute, following a punted free-kick from inside his own half by Clancy, they almost forged ahead. Former Celtic striker David Fernandez took advantage of hesitancy in the Hoops' rearguard as the ball bounced but his lob from 12 yards cleared Boruc and the crossbar.

Fernandez pulled up with a hamstring injury in the 56th minute and he was replaced by Irishman Conor Sammon just seconds before Brown sent a snapshot from 25 yards whistling over the crossbar.

On the hour mark Sammon missed a great chance to become a hero when he somehow failed to get on to the end of pin-point cross from Kyle.

The 6712 fans inside Rugby Park were witnessing an enthralling game and in the 65th minute the Killie supporters again had cause to cheer Combe when he pulled off a fabulous save from Caldwell's powerful point-blank header following a Nakamura corner.

In the 74th minute, O'Dea popped up in the Killie box and his shot from eight yards was goalbound until blocked by Rugby Park left-back Garry Hay.

Ben Hutchinson replaced the ineffective Samaras as the visitors drove forward for the next goal but it was McDonald who grabbed it 10 minutes from the end.

The Australian picked the ball up from McGeady at the edge of the Killie box, turned David Lilley then sent a clutch of Rugby Park defenders the wrong way with a sway of the hips before toe-poking the ball past Combe.

It was a goal fit to win any game and the Hoops fans cheered further when they heard the dramatic news from Ibrox.

Teams

Kilmarnock Combe, Clancy, Hay, Ford, Lilley, Bryson, Pascali,Hamill, Invincibile (Taouil 86), Fernandez (Sammon 57), Kyle.

Subs Not Used: Rascle, Skelton, O'Leary, Flannigan, Anson.

Booked: Hamill, Ford.

Goals: Invincibile 36.

Celtic Boruc, Hinkel, O'Dea, Caldwell, McManus, Scott Brown,Crosas, Nakamura, McGeady, Samaras (Hutchinson 78), McDonald.

Subs Not Used: Fox, Loovens, Hartley, Flood, Conroy, Millar.

Booked: McGeady, O'Dea.

Goals: McDonald 27, 81.

Att: 6,712

Ref: C Thomson (Scotland).