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Rangers Lee McCulloch celebrates scoring the equaliser against Celtic during a Scottish Premier League match at Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland, January 3.

Rangers retained their seven point advantage at the top of the Scottish Premier League as two late goals meant the Old Firm derby ended 1-1 at Celtic Park here on Sunday.

Super sub Scott McDonald looked to have sealed a well-deserved win for Celtic when the Australian international headed past Allan McGregor with 11 minutes left.

But Lee McCulloch nodded in the equaliser two minutes later with his side's first shot on target before McGregor produced a superb save to deny Georgios Samaras a late winner.

Celtic will rue a host of missed chances, including a first-half Marc-Antoine Fortune goal which was controversially ruled out for a foul on McGregor, as the Parkhead side dominated the league leaders who looked a pale shadow of the side which had previously won six successive matches.

Walter Smith was forced to make two changes to the side that put seven past Dundee United with Danny Wilson replacing Madjid Bougherra and Steven Whittaker in for the suspended Kenny Miller.

Rangers' game plan was further disrupted when Nacho Novo was injured in an early collision with Georgios Samaras and limped off in the 12th minute and was replaced by Maurice Edu.

Aiden McGeady was causing all sorts of problems for Rangers down the left wing as the Ibrox side, who had scored 26 times in their previous six games, struggled to get out of their own half.

Celtic thought they had made the breakthrough in the 19th minute when they had the ball in the net.

McGeady's miss-hit shot looked to be covered by McGregor but Fortune leapt above him to head the ball into the net.

However the home side were incensed when referee Steve Conroy controversially ruled it out for a foul after the striker appeared to make slight contact with the keeper.

Kyle Lafferty was lucky to stay on the pitch when he was booked on the half hour mark for a high and late challenge on Andreas Hinkel.

Danny Fox's curling free-kick went straight to McGregor before Robson rose unmarked in the box to meet Hinkel's cross from the right and slam a header off the bar.

Five minutes from the break McGeady headed another Hinkel cross just wide before Samaras missed a golden chance to put Celtic ahead as Rangers somehow ended the half on level terms.

In the 48th minute Lafferty struck a fierce drive from outside the box which was deflected out for a corner by Gary Caldwell.

From the resultant corner Celtic broke quickly and Irish international McGeady sent an angled low shot just by the post.

Caldwell again came to Celtic's rescue when he blocked Wilson's on target half-volley at the edge of the box.

A misplaced pass from Edu allowed Fortune to play in McGeady but he fired high over the bar.

Samaras should have done better when he beat Wilson but he sent a tame shot straight to McGregor.

McDonald came on for Marc Crosas and the Australian made an immediate impact when he gave Celtic the lead in the 79th minute.

McGeady sent over a cross from the right and the Socceroos striker nodded past McGregor from a couple of yards out.

The lead was short-lived and incredibly Rangers equalised with their first shot on target.

McCulloch got in front of Caldwell to meet a Steven Davis corner and send a downward header bouncing over Artur Boruc.

McGregor then produced a magnificent one-handed save to deny Samaras when the Greek's strike looked destined for the top corner.