STAND-IN skipper Jason Lowe admits tomorrow’s trip to high-flying Derby County is as hard as they come in the Championship.

But Lowe insists Blackburn Rovers will head to the iPro Stadium with confidence high after playing their part in a weekend of FA Cup shocks.

Rovers sent Premier League Swansea City crashing out of the competition on Saturday after coming from behind to run out 3-1 winners at a sparsely populated Ewood Park.

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Lowe hailed the rousing success over the Swans, who finished the contest with nine men, as the ‘perfect way’ to start a crucial week of action.

Rovers now find themselves 11 points behind the play-off places after Watford hammered rock-bottom Blackpool 7-2 on Saturday.

But that gap would be back down to eight if Gary Bowyer’s side end their four-game winless league run with victory over the fifth-placed Rams.

“If you win any game it breeds confidence and hopefully this will do that for us,” said Lowe, who captained Rovers on Saturday after Grant Hanley dropped to the bench.

“With it being a Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday week it is the perfect way to start it and we will take confidence into the Derby game.

“There are no easy games in this league, Derby being one of the harder tasks we’ll face, so we’ll recover and get ready for it and hopefully we can get the three points.

“It’ll be a different game to against Swansea, not least because they’ll be playing with 11 men for the majority of it unless something else happens – which I hope it does!

“So it’s going to be a tough test but we’ll be ready and hopefully we’ll give another good performance.”

Rovers will be ball number three in tonight’s draw for the FA Cup fifth round after Chris Taylor, Rudy Gestede and Craig Conway fired them to glory over Swansea.

It was top-scorer Gestede’s first goal – and appearance – after he saw a potential move to top-flight Crystal Palace blocked.

Lowe never had any doubts that the second-half substitute, who now has 13 goals for the season, would have his mind on the job.

The midfielder said: “It could have been easy for him switch off and take it the wrong way but he’s not. He’s come in, showed he’s ready to go and put us ahead.

“That’s what I expected and everybody else at the club expected so I’m delighted for him and the boys.”

Rovers boss Gary Bowyer could be without midfielders Lee Williamson and David Dunn against Derby after they both came off on Saturday.

Bowyer said: “We’re not too sure what happened to Willo, whether it was a poke in the eye or some dirt in his eye.

“But it swelled up straight away and he couldn’t see out of it.

“Dunny went on for Willo and felt his calf straight away and that’s disappointing.

“Fair play he went out second half and gave it a go but later on he was sensible and decided to come off.”

The FA Cup fifth-round draw takes place tonight live on BBC One at 7.20pm.

A new date for Rovers’ league clash at Cardiff City on February 14 will have to be rearranged as last-16 ties take place over the same weekend.