CONFIDENCE was high at the Reebok today as Wanderers put the disappointment of one derby defeat behind them and prepared for another battle for local pride and precious Premiership points.

There was no wailing or gnashing of teeth in the wake of Wednesday night's defeat by Manchester United, just a fierce determination to put things right at Blackburn tomorrow.

And leading the "glass half-full" brigade was Phil Brown, the assistant manager who insists that, having taken the "champions elect" to the wire, Wanderers can go to Ewood Park with their heads high and their spirits even higher.

Brown focussed on the second half of the United game, which ended with Ibrahim Ba missing the chance of a dramatic last-kick equaliser, to accentuate the positives ahead of the oldest of Lancashire league derbies and a game that could have a major bearing on the fortunes of the two clubs.

"The performance of the players the other night was fantastic," Brown said. "Coming in 2-0 down at half time against the champions elect, you had the fear factor. They had their best team out but the lads acquitted themselves well.

"So there won't be any negatives from us as we get the players ready. Hopefully all they will take into the Blackburn game will be positives."

Neither Brown nor anyone else at the Reebok is blind to the fact that, having hoisted themselves into the top half of the Premiership with an impressive run of results in November and the first half of December, Wanderers have slipped back down into the "twitch zone" after taking just two points from their last four games.

They are still kicking themselves for failing to take maximum points from the home game against Leicester over Christmas and hark even further back to the way they sloppily surrendered a winning position at Fulham. Indeed Sam Allardyce's biggest concern is the fact that, having kept five successive clean sheets in league and cup games to lay the foundation for their winter warmer, his defence has since managed just one shut-out in nine.

The loss of Ricardo Gardner, who is still waiting to hear the extent of the knee ligament damage he suffered when he fell awkwardly in the United game, cannot be overstated but Brown revealed today that Wanderers are ahead of the points schedule he and Allardyce drew up at the start of the season.

"The second phase of 10 games has reaped 15 points, which equals our best 10-match haul since we joined the Premier League," he explained. "We can put that behind us now and say we've done a good job. In fact it's been a hell

of a phase taking into consideration we've had Chelsea away, Arsenal at home, Liverpool away and Manchester United at home.

"But it's the failure to see off Leicester and the defeat at Fulham that are the ones that wrankle. Had we got more points in those games you can take defeat against Manchester United, not lightly of course, but satisfied that it hasn't cost you so much.

"But I've been heartened all season by the quality of the football we've produced." The fact that both Wanderers and Rovers are too close to the drop for comfort yet are still in striking distance of a UEFA Cup place illustrates how quickly and dramatically the picture can change in the congested mid-table melee.

The point is not lost on Brown who, for all his confidence, is fully aware of the consequences of not staying focussed. "It's an amazing league," he declared. "Some people in the media -- not us I must stress -- were talking about us possibly getting into Europe, and the way things stand at the moment, a couple of wins can get us back up there. But a couple of defeats can put us back in the melting pot again.

"So there'll be no complacency going into the Blackburn game.

"I think the opposition will pay us respect and that will stand us in good stead but it won't be easy at Ewood Park. It never is but they are fighting for their lives at the moment and that will make it even harder."