Hot Cole strikes

For the red-hot Rovers striker not only fired the goal to deliver his new club's first major knockout trophy since 1928.

His precious 69th minute winner could turn out to be just the shot in the arm the whole club needs in its battle against relegation from the Premiership.

During a glorious stint with Manchester United Cole had won virtually every honour the game had to offer - barring the Worthington Cup.

So to complete the set with his new team-mates came as a major personal triumph for the new hero of the Blackburn End - particularly as it came at the expense of his most public critic.

For wasn't it Tottenham boss Glenn Hoddle who once said he needed five chances to score?

To shove those words down the former England manager's throat will have tasted ever so sweet.

And Rovers chief Graeme Souness was quick to lead the tributes to his goal-hero afterwards -- even drawing comparisons between him and the legendary Ian Rush.

"Andy Cole is a predator and in many ways he is like Ian Rush," purred Souness, with a sense of satisfaction.

"He's not like Kenny Dalglish, in fact, he's totally different.

"Kenny was involved all the time whereas Rushie would play on the fringes of the game.

"But give him half a chance and he would cut your throat and that's what Andy Cole does best.

"It's easy for all these people to keep digging up this nonsense about him needing five chances to score time and time again.

"But you just have to look at his track record. He's a bloody good player, a top class goalscorer, who is up there with anyone you want to name, past or present."

Though Cole is sure to grab the headlines, the real hero of the day was American goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

Three times the big American denied Les Ferdinand with world class saves when all looked lost -- just as Vince O'Keefe had done for Rovers in the Full Members Cup triumph of 1987.

But like that day at Wembley, there were heroes all over the park in the imposing Millennium Stadium as Souness's gallant troops matched Spurs to a man in every department.

Mark Hughes -- pressed into action in an unfamiliar midfield role -- scrapped for every ball as if his life depended on it.

And his natural aggression provided David Dunn with the cover necessary to enable the 22-year-old to showcase his talents on the big stage he has always craved.

Typically, Dunn rose to the challenge, outgunning England midfielder Darren Anderton in the creativity department.

And, with Keith Gillespie and Damien Duff ever-willing raiders down the flanks, Spurs struggled to utilise their extra man in midfield.

Clearly fired up as they went in search of their first trophy under Glenn Hoddle, Spurs made a bright start.

Ziege fired an early warning when his curling shot from the left drifted inches over the angle of post and bar before Friedel then came to Rovers rescue with the first of several exceptional saves.

Les Ferdinand looked odds on to score when he raced onto a radar-like pass from Gus Poyet but, as he tried to round Friedel, the American stuck out a hand and tipped the ball to safety.

That moment seemed to lift the whole team and within six minutes Rovers were in front.

Keith Gillespie, in space 30 yards out, picked up a knock down and his mis-hit shot struck a defender, deflected straight to Jansen and Rovers' leading scorer stuck it under Neil Sullivan from 10 yards out.

Jansen then had the chance to double Rovers' adavantage when Sullivan failed to hold a shot from Duff but his toe-poked effort drifted wide of a post.

And that proved costly as Spurs suddenly got themselves back on level terms in the 33rd minute.

Poyet picked out Ferdinand with a clever through pass who then smartly rounded Henning Berg before picking out Ziege to fire home at the far post.

Game on! As the mercury rose, both keepers made excellent saves, first Sullivan denying Cole before Friedel somehow palmed away a point-blank header from Ferdinand.

Perhaps, the real turning point arrived on the hour.

Poyet somehow found himself free on the edge of the area and his curling shot looked in all the way until it bounced out off the outside of the post.

Rovers made the most of that luck by striking themselves in the 69th minute and who else but Cole was the man pulling the trigger.

Berg's long-ball was intercepted by Ledley King but Jansen's persistence forced an error and Cole was there to steer a volley past Sullivan into the bottom corner.

Cue an anxious finale.

Friedel denied both Sheringham and Ferdinand and Spurs then appealed desperately for a penalty when Sheringham went down under a challenge from Nils-Eric Johansson.

But referee Graham Poll refused to point to the spot and Rovers held on for one of the most memorable victories in their history.

ROVERS... 2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR... 1

Jansen 25, Cole 69. Ziege 33

At the Millennium Stadium, attendance 72,500