A game between two of the Premiership's mid-table sides turned out to be a real Christmas treat for the 25,452 fans that witnessed it at Ewood Park.
Blackburn defender Markus Babbel and Juninho got two goals apiece, the former's headers coming at the start and the end with the Brazilian's super strikes sandwiched in between.
After two consecutive defeats Rovers came out determined to prove a point and took a very early lead against a team coming into the match on the back of seven successive clean sheets.
The impressive Brett Emerton swung in a devilish corner and Babbel rose imperiously to head beyond Mark Schwarzer with only three minutes gone.
They almost repeated the trick four minutes later from the other flank as Martin Taylor met Emerton's corner powerfully only for the ball to bounce back off the post.
Boro eventually forced themselves back into the game with the flamboyant trio of Boudewijn Zenden, Gaizka Mendieta and Juninho causing the defence problems.
Indeed, in the 31st minute the visitors equalised when Michael Ricketts escaped Andy Todd and supplied Juninho with a simple finish over Brad Friedel.
And just six minutes after the interval, the little Brazilian was at it again, cutting past Lucas Neill and delivering a perfectly placed finish into the bottom corner.
That seemed to be that until the last minute when, with goalkeeper Friedel up for a corner, no-one picked up Babbel and he headed his second goal of the season into the bottom corner of the net.
Blackburn assistant manager Tony Parkes was a relieved man but felt his side deserved the point.
"It was a fair result," he said. "I thought our corners were excellent today. We are looking strong in that department." Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren was very disappointed to see two points slip out of his grasp, adding: "This was a great away performance, we controlled the game. We deserved all three points."