The striker has enjoyed more starring roles for the Welsh international side this season with Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton bang in form for his club.

But Hartson – who was involved in the Swede’s winner after coming on as substitute against Blackburn Rovers in the UEFA Cup – seized his rare start as the champions closed the gap on Scottish Premier League leaders Rangers to a single point.

Hartson was drafted in as Sutton was employed in the middle of midfield, with Paul Lambert and Neil Lennon on the sidelines.

He will get further chances to impress in the CIS Cup against Partick Thistle next week and against Dundee United to be in the starting 11 for the return leg of the UEFA Cup tie in Lancashire.

But Larsson also kept his own scoring record ticking along nicely – after becoming Scotland’s all-time top scorer in Europe – by hitting the net for his 20th goal of the current campaign. Goals by Bobo Balde and Shaun Maloney completed the rout.

Aberdeen had been hit by a flu bug during the week, but Celtic struggled to find their feet early on and Sutton sent a dipping right-foot shot just over the bar from 25 yards.

Momo Sylla then hit the outside of the upright from a tight angle after Hartson had sent him away down the right flank.

But Celtic needed more heroics from Robert Douglas, after his impressive display in midweek, to keep them on level terms in the fifth minute.

Russell Anderson flicked on Roberto Bisconti’s corner into the path of Derek Young and his shot was kept out by the Scotland number one from point-blank range.

Celtic seemed to have a good shout for a penalty four minutes later when Anderson appeared to pull Hartson back in the box from Alan Thompson’s free-kick, but referee Hugh Dallas rejected their appeals.

But the frame of the goal again came to Aberdeen’s rescue in the 11th minute after Stilian Petrov’s shot was deflected over the bar.

From the corner Sutton got the deftest of flicks to Petrov’s ball, but his header came back off the upright.

Douglas again came to Celtic’s rescue in the 19th minute after Aberdeen had sprung the offside trap.

Philip McGuire picked out Nicolas Fabiano with a long ball through the middle and he pulled it into the path of Scott Michie in the centre, but the keeper reacted quickly to save at his feet as the youngster looked poised to round him and score.

But Hartson ended the frustration of the home fans when he opened the scoring in the 26th minute.

Thompson did well to pick out Steve Guppy on the left and the Englishman swung an inviting cross into the box for the Welshman to head past the outstretched hand of David Preece.

Celtic became a different team after that goal and just nine minutes later the striker doubled his and the home side’s tally.

Larsson sprung the offside trap to run onto Guppy’s through ball and he centred for Hartson to side-foot past Preece from close range.

The Swede almost joined his partner on the scoresheet in the 37th minute when he got on the end of the Welshman’s cross, but he was unable to keep his effort down.

Hartson again threatened two minutes later when he lost his marker to reach Petrov’s corner, but he headed just past the upright.

Thompson was the next Celtic man to hit the post moments later after being found by Guppy.

But Larsson was to add to his own tally just two minutes before the break as he curled a right-foot free-kick up and over the wall and past Preece.

Douglas was also having a good day and he pushed away Bisconti’s strike after Sylla had slipped, before Hartson completed his hat-trick in glorious fashion.

Thompson picked out the striker at the back post and he steered his effort over the keeper and into the net.

Hartson was close to notching his fourth of the day in the 59th minute after Guppy had picked him out in the centre after skipping away from Kevin Rutkiewicz, but he headed wide.

Such was the home side’s dominance that even Balde got on the scoresheet when he unleashed a low right-foot shot from wide of the box into the bottom corner.

Sutton came close to netting a goal that his performance deserved in the 76th minute, but his header from close range was cleared off the line by Darren Young.

Hartson was not finished and he scored another in the 80th minute from Sylla’s cut back.

Maloney did his best to grab the headlines by cracking a brilliant long-range free-kick into the top corner with just five minutes left.

But not even that could steal Hartson’s thunder as once again he left O’Neill with a massive selection headache to contend with.