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By David McDaid
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 McDonald made it 19 goals for the season at Pittodrie
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Scott McDonald scored a brace as Celtic came from behind to win at Aberdeen and move four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League.
Chris Maguire gave the home side the lead on 22 minutes with a header from Charlie Mulgrew's free-kick.
With seconds remaining of the first half, Andy Considine headed into his own net to level for Celtic.
And, with 20 minutes left, McDonald fired in a fine first-time shot before sealing the win in injury time.
When the top six was decided, Celtic must have been disappointed that another trip to Pittodrie beckoned given the Dons' undefeated record at home since October.
Aberdeen's team-sheet, minus their regular forward pair of Lee Millar and Darren Mackie, may have given Gordon Strachan's side encouragement, but Chris Maguire proved to be a more-than-ample deputy.
The striker's energy and movement caused problems for the visitors and he was presented with a wonderful opportunity to give the Dons the lead with less than five minutes played.
Celtic's captain Stephen McManus was caught out by Charlie Mulgrew's chip, but Maguire could only lob the ball wide with Artur Boruc advancing from his goal.
Marc Crosas was at the heart of the most of the visitors' early play and it was the Spaniard who began a move culminating in Aiden McGeady curling an effort just past the post with the outside of his boot.
As play swung from end to end, Boruc palmed away a tricky Sone Aluko strike then, after the ball was launched high up the field, Jamie Langfield had to block at the feet of McDonald.
Celtic, with a zonal-marking system that has been vulnerable at set-pieces all season, failed to attack Mulgrew's free-kick in the 22nd minute and Maguire took advantage to head the Dons in front from six yards.
Seconds after the restart, Maguire again forced Boruc to save, before Scott Severin blasted wide from the resultant corner in acres of space at the back post.
With half an hour played, Langfield, who was excellent throughout, produced a fantastic one-handed save to claw Paul Hartley's net-bound strike away to safety, before again blocking from McDonald as Celtic tried to get back on level terms.
And, just as it looked like the Dons would take a lead into the break, the Dons' keeper was beaten by a cruel deflection, as Considine flicked Gary Caldwell's header into the net with seconds of the half remaining.
Early in the second period, Boruc was relieved to watch a clearance deflect wide off Maguire after the Pole had raced out of his box.
At the other end, Langfield tipped first Lee Naylor's deflected strike then Hartley's header over the bar.
The Aberdeen forwards were finding space in behind the Celtic back line and, had Tommy Wright pulled the trigger sooner, he might have reclaimed the lead for the home team, but his hesitancy allowed Caldwell time to recover and clear.
The Dons were left ruing missed opportunities on 72 minutes, when Hinkel fed McDonald and the Australian's accurate first-time shot squeezed inside Langfield's near post.
And, in injury time, McDonald struck again when he latched on to a long throw-in with the Dons defence napping.
BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Aberdeen's Jamie Langfield 7.64 (on 90 minutes).
• Please note that you can still give the players marks out of 10 on BBC Sport's Player Rater after the match has finished.
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