BLACKBURN Rovers midfielder Steven Reid today insisted he and his team-mates have the character to bounce back from Saturday's demoralising 4-0 defeat against Middlesbrough.

Mark Hughes's 10-men slumped to their heaviest defeat of the season as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink helped himself to a second-half hat-trick.

Rovers were on the back foot from the moment Tugay got sent off for a second bookable offence in the 30th minute.

But with tough matches to come against Chelsea and Liverpool in the next fortnight, Reid and his team-mates cannot afford to dwell on a damaging result which plunged them back into the Premiership's bottom three.

"We're still in it together," said Reid, who made his first appearance of the season on Saturday after recovering from a foot injury. "We've got to put this behind us and try and focus on next week.

"Training has been brilliant, the lads' morale is still up and although we are disappointed now,

"We've got two tough games coming up but then there's no easy games at this level.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to raise our game and compete with them."

Reid's return was one of the few positives that Hughes could take from an otherwise desperately disappointing day.

Rovers were struggling from the moment referee Mike Riley gave Tugay his marching orders for clattering into Gaizka Mendieta - a challenge which led to the Turk's second caution of the game.

Rovers Reserves travel to Newcastle tonight, kick-off 7pm.

Reid said: "I thought we dealt well with it up until half-time but then we were devastated to see that within 10 minutes of the second half, it was game over."

"I think sometimes referees make it difficult for themselves," said Reid.

"He booked him for handball and then made it that Tugay couldn't tackle for the rest of the game.

"So it's disappointing.

In the meantime, Reid is now hoping for an extended run in the side after recovering from the broken metatarsal he suffered in a pre-season friendly with Preston North End.

"It's been stop-start all the way. I just seem to have had one injury after another.

"But hopefully that's all behind me and I can work hard in the gym, strengthen up and kick on from here."