ROQUE Santa Cruz savoured his dream debut for Blackburn Rovers - but revealed that his team-mates won their Premier League opener for injured Benni McCarthy.

The Paraguayan international made a dramatic impact on his Rovers bow, coming off the bench to inspire a 2-1 victory at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

He scored a towering header just three minutes after coming on as a substitute, before Matt Derbyshire curled home a superb winner.

But Santa Cruz admits that McCarthy's worrying head injury inspired Rovers to turn around a one-goal deficit at the Riverside.

The prolific South African striker collapsed and passed out moments after a clash of heads with Boro defender Chris Riggott.

After five minutes of treatment on the pitch, McCarthy was stretchered off wearing a neck brace and rushed to hospital.

But he was later released from hospital, with boss Mark Hughes insisting the injury was not too serious.

"It wasn't nice to see Benni coming out of the game like that," said Santa Cruz. "The way he was looking, it wasn't that great.

"But we played a little bit for him, because he's a player that always gives everything for the team.

"I think everybody had it in their mind that we wanted to win the game for him."

Santa Cruz replaced McCarthy on the hour mark with Rovers trailing, and within the space of three minutes headed home a superb equaliser.

It was the perfect debut for the former Bayern Munich striker, who moved to Ewood Park two weeks ago in a £3.3m move.

He said: "If we are talking about dreams, I think I scored two or three goals!

"But it was a good beginning for me. I'm very happy, because of the goal, and because we won the game.

"The most important thing was the three points for the team.

"I enjoyed my first game very much, we worked so hard to get the three points, and I can also go home happy because I scored on my debut.

"It was a close game. We tried hard and both sides didn't have many chances, but we won the game from the two chances we created.

"It takes the pressure off me now. Everybody wants to score and I've done it already.

"But the game will give us the confidence that we need to take into the next game."

David Bentley produced a superb cross from which Santa Cruz rose above the Boro defence to equalise for Rovers.

And now the Paraguayan is excited at the prospect of playing with Blackburn's wide players week in, week out.

He said: "We have great crossers in our team with Pedersen and Bentley and I think I will enjoy playing with them."