A dramatic late Lee Naylor equaliser against Dundee United at Tannadice restored Celtic's three-point lead over Rangers at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, but the champions will see this game as a missed opportunity.

After the Light Blues could only draw 2-2 with Hearts on Saturday the scene was set for Gordon Strachan's side to stretch away from their Old Firm rivals and when Scott McDonald scored his 16th goal of the season after 24 minutes it looked like the title race could be all but over.

However, United striker Francisco Sandaza scored twice at the start of the second half to turn the game on its head and it was left to the unlikely figure of Naylor to save the day when he volleyed in from the edge of the box with nine minutes remaining.

It was yet another enthralling meeting between the two sides who have now drawn four times this season.

Celtic midfielder Aiden McGeady, who had been linked with Bayern Munich in one morning newspaper, set the tone early on when he skipped past Tannadice left-back Paul Dixon in the third minute but he flashed his shot over the bar from the edge of the box.

As Celtic edged possession, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, captain in the absence of Stephen McManus, drove a cross from 25 yards which just evaded the toe of the onrushing McDonald at the edge of the six-yard box.

However, in the 24th minute the Australia international found himself in exactly the right place to give Celtic the lead.

McDonald had forced United skipper Lee Wilkie into conceding a corner and Paul Hartley's inswinging cross was inadvertently directed towards his own goal by lanky Tannadice defender Garry Kenneth.

Although Lukasz Zaluska blocked the ball, he could only parry it up in the air and the Hoops striker gratefully headed in from close range for his 16th of the season.

United responded with their first real sign of aggression and Craig Conway forced a save from Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc with a low drive from 16 yards after being set up by Prince Buaben.

Celtic remained in control, however, and in the 36th minute McDonald's shot from 25 yards forced Zaluska into a fine save down at his right-hand post.

Then, after Dixon's mistake had let McGeady run through, the United defender had to recover to stop the Republic of Ireland player getting a clean shot in on goal but the consequent corner almost cost United another goal.

From Shunsuke Nakamura's cross, Vennegoor of Hesselink challenged Zaluska and as the ball looked net-bound, United midfielder Morgaro Gomis cleared off the line.

United looked more purposeful at the start of the second period and within two minutes they had drawn level.

Warren Feeney won a corner off Darren O'Dea on the right-hand side of the box. When Dixon whipped his cross into the front post, Sandaza flicked it away from a posse of players inside the six-yard box and high into the net.

The goal changed the complexion of the game but when Kenneth brought McGeady crashing to the ground 30 yards from goal, the Parkhead side almost capitalised.

Nakamura stepped up to deliver one of his trademark free-kicks and it was a relieved Kenneth - and United support - which watched the ball clear the bar by only a foot.

But in the 57th minute Sandaza dramatically grabbed his second as the Celtic defence went to sleep after a short free-kick from James Wesolowski sent Dixon racing down the right.

The United defender's cutback came across the Celtic box and it fell to the Spaniard, whose turn and shot made its way in at the far post past the diving Boruc.

In the 73rd minute, as the Hoops pressed and probed at the edge of the United box, Zaluska made a fine save when he parried McDonald's angled shot from 12 yards.

The home box remained under siege and in the 79th minute, after the ball ricocheted around the United penalty area again, Gary Caldwell somehow fired wide from eight yards out.

But in the 81st minute, after Kenneth failed to clear properly, the unlikely figure of Naylor popped up at the edge of the box to send an unstoppable volley past Zaluska.

It looked like there would only be one winner as the champions flooded forward in the dying stages but the Tannadice side survived their late battering leaving Celtic the more bruised of the two sides.

Teams:

Dundee Utd Zaluska, Kovacevic, Wilkie, Kenneth, Dixon, Wesolowski (David Robertson 87), Buaben, Gomis, Conway (Swanson 83), Feeney (Daly 84), Sandaza.

Subs Not Used: McGovern, Dillon, Shala, Goodwillie.

Booked: Feeney.

Goals: Sandaza 47, 58.

Celtic Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, O'Dea, Naylor, Nakamura (Flood 61), Hartley, Scott Brown, McGeady, McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink (Samaras 75).

Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Wilson, Misun, Crosas, Mizuno.

Booked: McDonald.

Goals: McDonald 24, Naylor 81.

Att: 12,043

Ref: S Conroy (Scotland).