BLACKBURN Rovers' goal-hero Paul Dickov has admitted he couldn't look Ian Walker in the eye as he prepared to step up and take his match-winning penalty at Ewood yesterday.

Dickov has taken penalties against the England goalkeeper on hundreds of occasions in the past as the pair were team-mates at Leicester for the best part of two and a half years.

However, those training ground showdowns counted for little yesterday as the duo faced each other in a shoot-out of far greater significance.

Tension filled the air as Dickov planted the ball on the spot with just eight minutes of Rovers' FA Cup quarter final with Leicester remaining.

But while the fans held their breath in the stands, Dickov was the man with the coolest head in the ground as he smashed a venomous spot-kick straight down the middle, and past the despairing dive of his close friend Walker.

"It seemed like 10 minutes from when the ref first gave the penalty to actually taking it, but I just tried to stay focused," said the Rovers striker.

"I already knew where I was going to put it because I'd made my mind up during the week.

"I knew that ninety nine times out of a hundred, Ian Walker would probably dive that way anyway because I used to take them all the time against him in training.

"I just tried to concentrate on putting it down the middle because I was pretty certain he was going to dive."

Despite knowing Walker so well, Dickov said that only heightened the mind games that tend to take place between the keeper and the taker in such situations.

"Me and Ian were talking about it afterwards and it was a case of bluffing and double bluffing," said Rovers' matchwinner.

"Away from training and playing against each other, we are also good friends off the field as well, so we both said afterwards we tried hard not to look at each other because we probably would have burst out laughing if we had."

Dickov only declared himself fit to play at the 11th hour after battling with thigh and groin injuries in the build-up to the game.

The Scotland international has been playing with a torn groin since the Boxing Day clash with Newcastle, and his fitness problems then heightened when he severed a vein in his leg during last week's win at Everton.

As a result, he was only able to squeeze in one training session before yesterday's tie but he was determined to face his former club, come what may.

"I was sore but if I'm being truthful, I was never going to miss it because this was a big game for me," said Dickov.

"My thigh was a bit sore during the week but it was probably my groin that was the main worry again because it's still not right.

"I'm just trying to get through games at the minute, and if I feel myself that I can't put in a performance then I'll be the first one to hold my hand up.

"At the moment, though, I feel as though I'm doing okay and getting through it."

Dickov's determination to play meant Jon Stead, the hero at Goodison last week, had to be content with a place on the substitutes' bench and the Scot had some sympathy for his strike-partner afterwards.

"I felt a bit sorry for big Jonny.

"He came on last week, scored a great goal and did fantastically well, so maybe it was a little bit harsh to leave him out."