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Blackburn boss Hughes hails match-winner Santa Cruz

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes believes Roque Santa Cruz has already answered his critic's just two games into his career at the club.

The £3.3million buy from Bayern Munich marked his 26th birthday by scoring for the second successive match.

He was on target in the fifth minute of the first leg game in Finland with a clinical finish to give Rovers a 1-0 win.

Hughes said: "Roque's scoring record in Germany was an issue for some people but not me.

"He is a match winner and will score a lot of goals for us, of that I am sure.

"It was an excellent finish so early in the game. He showed his quality and getting a full game will help him.

"We are encouraged by Roque, so early in his career here and he can only get better.

"To be honest I am surprised by how quickly he seems to have adapted. You have to complement him on the way he trains and plays."

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