"I am really pleased for Shefki. He is a great professional and he wants to succeed at this level," Hughes said after the game at Ewood Park.
"As a former striker myself, it is always important that you get off the mark.
"We were slow coming out of the blocks in the first half and we didn't respond as quickly as I would have liked after Craig Bellamy came off.
"But I was pleased with the performance of the second half, as we had a lot more determination and drive.
"We kept plugging away and eventually got the two goals, which were just reward."