TONY MOWBRAY has paid tribute to Scott McDonald's workrate after the Middlesbrough striker finally broke his goal duck at the weekend.

The Australian forward scored his first goal since August against Watford to fire his side back to third in the npower Championship, and Mowbray believes that this could kick-start a goal run for the former Celtic man.

He said: "Scott's very own high standards of himself means that he gets very frustrated, he wants to score goals and to be fair, he's built his career on scoring goals.

"For me as a coach, the positive is the hard work and endeavour that he shows.

"Many strikers want to stand on the edge of the box and wait for chances to come and then take all the glory when they notch one in, but being fair to Scott, he does sacrifice himself for the team and yet I know he can score all types of goals.

"I'm pretty sure that he'll be regularly seeing his name on the scoresheet now."

McDonald had only previously found the net on one occasion this season, grabbing the opener in a 3-1 win at Barnsley on August 16, after scoring 14 goals last season.

The striker had suffered a similar drought last year, but recovered to score eight in the final 13 games of the season. And while he had come in for some criticism from Boro supporters, Mowbray knows exactly what he gets from a player who is much more than a goalscorer.

Mowbray said: "He hasn't come under any criticism from me. Anybody who knows Scott McDonald knows that the most unhappy person about his lack of goals is him, that's what he lives off, that what he feeds off.

"His whole personality is based on him scoring goals. He can be grumpy around the place but if that is what drives him on on a matchday, then so be it. The reason he is playing, despite his lack of goals, is his work ethic and his desire to keep running and chasing and doing the right thing.

"If Scott hadn't been working hard, it would have been tough on the boys waiting behind, as centre-forwards they would be asking the questions, "I can score goals, put me on the pitch and get me in the team".

"The balance is, first and foremost, the work ethic which Scott brings in abundance, but goals win games, and there comes a point where if he doesn't look like scoring the other lads might get an opportunity. At this moment the team's league position suggests there isn't a lot wrong, other than the fact Scott wants to score more goals."

n Middlesbrough striker Bart Ogbeche scored a first-half hat-trick as Boro's reserves beat Hartlepool's second string 3-0 at Rockliffe Park yesterday.