TWO down. Six more to go!

That was the upbeat message from Blackburn manager Mark Hughes last night as Rovers moved to within striking distance of the Premiership's top six following a thrilling 2-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium.

Ten days ago, Hughes called a team meeting in which he set his players a daunting target of eight wins from their remaining 11 games in the quest to qualify for Europe.

Since then, Rovers have beaten both Portsmouth and Bolton - two rivals in the battle for UEFA Cup qualification - and Hughes believes six more victories from the last nine games will see his side clinch a return to Europe next season.

The Rovers chief said: "I set my team a target the other week of eight wins from the last 11 games and I think it's do-able.

"We play better when we have targets to meet.

"Last year, we had targets and in the end we hit them.

"And this time we are very much in with a shout for the European places again.

"When you consider the season we've had, and the injuries we've had to contend with, it's remarkable we find ourselves in this position.

"The top four is probably beyond us now - but I think the top six is still achievable.

"We've generally been strong in the second half of the season."