ALEN Boksic wrecked Glenn Hoddle's big party as Middlesbrough's clinical finishing earned them their first win at the Dell since 1989.

Before the game Saints called a press conference to announce that the former England boss had agreed an 18-month extension to his contract, keeping him at the club until July 2002.

They also unveiled a sponsorship deal worth around £3m to give their new ground the snappy title of the Friends Provident Stadium.

But it all fell very flat. The ink was barely dry on the contract before Boro had raced into a two-goal lead with Boksic leading the way with a superb solo strike on 16 minutes against the run of play.

Wayne Bridge had gone on a storming run at goal but no-one dropped into the gap to cover for him so when Christian Karembeu swept a diagonal ball out to the right, there was no-one to prevent Boksic retrieving it.

Claus Lundekvam and Dean Richards tried to get across to cover but by now the proven international was in full and majestic stride. He drifted almost effortlessly past both and drilled a precision shot into the bottom right corner.

Whether it was the timing, the injustice or the sheer quality of the strike, it seemed to knock some of the stuffing out of the Saints who lost their way until the 31st minute when a second goal gave them a wake-up call.

It was much more chaotic than the first as a short corner on the left was worked to Keith O'Neill whose cross was knocked back across goal by Hamilton Ricard. With the defence in disarray, Richards and Uwe Rosler both missed the chance to kick clear and Gianluca Festa bundled home from close range.

The Teessiders should have had a third on 56 minutes but somehow Paul Jones made a superb reflex save to keep out Ricard's header at point blank range.

Southampton, who had come from three down in the final 18 minutes to draw at home to Liverpool, threw caution to the wind and when Marian Pahars scored with a diving header 11 minutes from time, it sparked fears of another late revival.

But Boro responded in perfect fashion with an immediate third to kill the game - and any prospect of a Saints revival.

O'Neill's left-wing cross looked harmless enough but Jones inexplicably palmed the ball onto the head of Boksic who instinctively steered it home.

That highlighted the visitors' greater economy of finishing.

Bryan Robson's side had four real chances and scored three with the other producing a fine save.

Saints peppered the goal, hit the same part of a post twice through Tahar El Khalej and then Trond Soltvedt, and saw Gary Walsh make two wonder stops.

The first was a close range reaction save from Richards' sidefoot blast at close range and the second he could have known little about as a header by El Khalej struck his trailing foot as he dived the other way.

But while Bryan Robson's men rode their luck at times, their game plan worked perfectly as they defended robustly and struck efficiently on the break.

The Teessiders' midfield got stuck in and battled where necessary and the back line stuck to their task unyieldingly against an often furious onslaught.

But in Boksic they had the difference on the day.

Where Saints and Rosler looked laboured, Boro were razor sharp in front of goal.

Although they sat back or at least were pinned back after the break, their first-half finishing had already done enough to win the game.

But what will have pleased Robson most was the way his side had the character to respond instantly - just as Southampton looked to mount one of their trademark late recoveries.