WHEN Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored a 14-minute hat-trick for Chelsea against Wolves in March this year each of his goals appeared borne out of frustration.

The then Chelsea striker was celebrating his 32nd birthday that day, but the celebrations were strictly of the muted variety.

Hasselbaink was not a happy man. A victim of Claudio Ranieri's squad rotation he was well aware that his time at Chelsea was drawing to a close - whoever was chosen to replace the Tinkerman.

Fast forward seven months and when Hasselbaink rattled home his 90th minute goal at Ewood Park on Saturday his smile was as wide as the Transporter Bridge.

Gone is the frustration. Hasselbaink has already been made to feel very welcome on Teesside but the hat-trick will cement his place in the Boro fans' hearts.

There's no doubt that the Surinam-born Holland international is a class act, but what he needs is to be appreciated.

His new manager certainly appreciates him as do his team-mates.

"He's a winner and he demands the best of everyone around him," is Gareth Southgate's view.

"But that's why we brought Jimmy to the club. He was clinical in his finishing and we saw on Saturday exactly what he can do.

"There's been nobody at the club since (Fabrizio) Ravanelli who can score 20 goals a season and in Jimmy and Mark Viduka we now have two players who are capable of that."

The last person to score a hat-trick for Boro was Marco Branca back in 1997-98 against Bury. The last time they scored four goals in an away league game was that season as well - in the old first division at Oxford.

Hasselbaink is providing a boost in defence and attack according his new club skipper.

"For us in training against Jimmy, Mark Viduka, Joseph Job and Szilard Nemeth it keeps the defenders sharp as well," said Southgate.

"Defensively we let seven in the first two so another clean sheet was important and we got that."

But every striker needs his service. On Saturday the new man on the block set up Hasselbaink's first and second.

Less than a year ago Stewart Downing's talents were on display at Gresty Road and the Priestfield Stadium.

Somehow Old Trafford, Highbury and St James' Park are far more suited to the skills of the 20-year-old who is quickly being hailed as the answer to England's left sided problems.

On Saturday he was superb. An intelligent through ball set up Hasselbaink for his first and, after taking a corner on the right, he stuck around and picked up possession again to cross with his right foot for Hasselbaink to slide in his second.

A two-footed left sided midfield player who loves running at defenders. Not since the days of Chris Waddle and John Barnes have England possessed such a player.

But his club captain is quick to impose a reality check on people expecting too much from the player who still has a lot to learn.

Southgate said: "He's a bit of throwback in that he's someone who's prepared to run at players.

"He's progressing really well but there's a lot of work for him still to do. People will push his cause because of the position he plays more than other young players."

Downing and Hasselbaink were two of the few shining lights in what was a very dim first half at Ewood Park.

Boro's five-man midfield stifled them as much as the opposition. Hasselbaink ran the channels well but received little support and saw little of the ball.

Downing had their best effort of the half when a 25-yard stinging drive was turned past his post by Brad Friedel.

The loss of Tugay for a second bookable offence on the half hour had little immediate effect on the game, and it wasn't until Boro switched to 4-4-2 formation at half-time that they got their just desserts.

The Turkish midfielder was on his first yellow card for a deliberate hand ball so his challenge on Gaizka Mendieta was inexcusable.

Stuart Parnaby off and Szilard Nemeth on at the break and it was game over. Boro cut through the Rovers midfield and defence at will.

Within 60 seconds of the restart Hasselbaink had fired home the first after Downing's astute ball and then George Boateng got in on the act four minutes later.

In his 82nd game since his move from Aston Villa the 29-year-old grabbed his first goal for Boro.

Downing fed Mendieta on the edge of the box and his little dink into the box was easily controlled by Boateng who gleefully smashed it home.

The third was the result of some brilliant interplay. Ray Parlour's reverse ball to Mendieta was immediately turned out wide to Downing who crossed for Hasselbaink to place the ball past Friedel.

The rumour after the game was that Steve McClaren was trying to substitute Hasselbaink to save him for the midweek trip to Athens to play Aigaleo in the UEFA Cup.

Funnily enough the striker wasn't too keen on a rest. Nemeth capitalised on a slip by Brett Emerton and fed Hasselbaink on the edge of the area and in a flash the hat-trick and the match ball were his.

The hat-trick hero was selected for a routine drugs test but apparently he struggled to provide a sample.

It seemed somehow ironic that after taking the proverbial in the second half he couldn't give any back at full-time.

Result: Blackburn Rovers 0 Middlesbrough 4.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.