Notts County head coach Ian Burchnall hailed hat-trick hero Ruben Rodrigues after his superb treble helped the Magpies record a 3-0 win at Southend United.
The Portuguese forward was in imperious form at Roots Hall and opened the scoring in the first half when he volleyed Harry Arter's free-kick beyond Steve Arnold.
He then doubled the lead in the second half with a clinical finish after being teed up by Kyle Wootton before Vitezslav Jaros saved Sam Dalby's penalty.
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Rodrigues then sealed all three points when he lifted a shot into the top corner after his initial effort was blocked in what was a masterclass in finishing.
Asked about his performance, Burchnall joked: "He turned up today didn't he? "He was fantastic. It wasn't just the goals, but also the work-rate off the ball.
"He was a genuine talisman. This system suits him so well. We play with three midfielders and he plays at the top of them. He really understands that role. He took his goals fantastically. He brings a lot of energy and he is like that in training every day. That's why he does well in the games.
"Ruben fully deserved his hat-trick. I don't know if it's the first one of his career but he keeps saying finally so I am assuming it is. It was a stellar performance from him."
On the performance itself, Burchnall said: "I am really happy. It was a very solid and composed performance. We had good control for most of the game. We didn't like flow all the way like sometimes we do when we're at home, but I thought we were in control throughout."
