Cole strike decisive

First, the England international helped to clip the wings of the Owls with a star performance in last Tuesday's Worthington Cup triumph over Sheffield Wednesday at Ewood.

Then at the New Den on Saturday the 30-year-old striker grabbed the goal which effectively tamed the Lions as Rovers took another giant step towards a second trip to Cardiff.

And all this in the knowledge that his old club Manchester United have now been eliminated from both competitions.

So just who was it who said his move to Rovers was taking a step down?

Thanks to Cole's heroics over the last three weeks, Graeme Souness's men now find themselves in one final and three games away from appearing in another.

And as long as they continue to perform like this then the prospect of a Worthington and FA Cup double still remains a very real possibility.

When the draw for the fourth round was made, a trip to Millwall felt like the footballing equivalent of a day out at Camp X-ray.

With Mark McGhee's Lions currently flying high in Division One, it had upset written all over it.

But the arrival of Cole has galvanised a team which was previously in danger of losing its way.

And the new-found belief currently coursing through the veins was there again for all to see as Rovers safely avoided the threat of a giant-killing in one of the most hostile bear pits in English football.

For 87 minutes, a vociferous home crowd had booed Cole's every touch as he struggled to shake off the attentions of Millwall's Stuart Nethercott.

But, like a true predator, he suddenly pounced with devastating consequences to gobble up his fourth goal in six games as Rovers snared the Lions with a classic sucker punch of their own.

"That's what top strikers do," purred a visibly delighted Souness afterwards.

"If you don't pay attention for the full 92 minutes then they'll punish you.

"They'll just wait for you to go to sleep and then it's 'thank you very much.'

"That's now four goals in six for Andy and he's done well for us to date.

"But it's not just his goals which has impressed me, it's his overall game.

"The kind of movement he shows during games has helped Matt Jansen, for instance.

"And it's the fact he does the simple things consistently. There's a time and a place to attempt a trick and he knows when and when not to do that, which marks him out as a top man."

It's no exaggeration to say Cole's arrival has totally transformed the fortunes of the whole club.

For most of the season, Rovers have played well but often returned from games with nothing to show for their efforts.

But with Cole in the side you now feel as though there's always a chance of nicking a result and this performance was a classic case in point.

For the majority of the game, Millwall had matched the visitors stride for stride and with a little more accuracy in front of goal, they might have claimed the famous cup scalp the passionate home fans were baying for.

However, suddenly, in the blink of an eye, those cup hopes were extinguished as Cole hungrily devoured his one real clear-cut chance of the day and they were left to dream of what might have been.

"Andy's arrival has bred confidence through the rest of the team," said Millwall old-boy Lucas Neill.

"He's a threat whenever he walks out on the field because his name alone strikes fear into the opposition because they know that if you give him half a chance, the odds are he'll take it.

"And without being disrespectful to the lads who were already here, before he came I think we were lacking that bit of confidence in front of goal.

"Now he's here, though, we haven't looked back and I think everyone is benefiting from his vast experience."

After a raft of games over the last few weeks, Souness sensibly shuffled his pack in a bid to freshen things up in the wake of Rovers' Worthington Cup exploits.

So in came Alan Mahon and Damien Johnson for Craig Hignett and Damien Duff on the flanks and their willingness to tuck in and defend whenever the visitors lost possession was a pivotal part of the gameplan.

The ingredients were certainly all there for an upset.

An intimidating atmosphere, a glue-pot of a surface, and a hungry home side with the scent of a giantkilling in their nostrils all added up to an uncomfortable afternoon.

And that's exactly what unfolded although you always felt Rovers had enough in the tank to move up that extra gear if necessary.

Millwall certainly had the better of the first half even if Brad Friedel was only called on to make one meaningful save.

Paul Ifill fired over with the goal at his mercy after great work from Matt Lawrence before Friedel reacted magnificently to palm away a Darren Ward header.

But when the Lions look back at the game on video, the incident they are likely to rue most came in the 56th minute.

Ifill sliced open the visitors defence before delivering a low cross from the left but Neil Harris scooped his shot over the bar from eight yards with just Friedel to beat.

That prompted Souness to throw on Damien Duff in a free role behind Jansen and Cole and the Irishman's arrival turned the game completely on its head.

Suddenly, Rovers looked menacing going forward and in the last 20 minutes they turned up the heat in devastating style.

Garry Flitcroft fired wide, Jansen had a free kick saved, and keeper Willy Gueret denied Cole with two lightning stops before he fumbled another effort from Duff onto the post.

But Cole and Rovers were not to be denied and finally the pressure told.

With just three minutes left, Flitcroft picked out Mahon with a raking pass and the Irishman expertly skipped past Lawrence on the left before galloping forward and delivering a peach of a cross which Cole masterfully headed home at the far post.

It was a fitting way to end a thoroughly entertaining afternoon.

MILLWALL...0

ROVERS...1

Scorer: Cole 87

Attendance...15,004