MAGNIFICENT Rovers’ dreams of Wembley remain very much alive after they held the Premier League’s form team to a thoroughly deserved draw at Anfield yesterday.

Gary Bowyer’s Championship side have done the club proud in their thrilling run to the FA Cup quarter-finals, sweeping aside Liverpool’s top-flight rivals Swansea City and Stoke City to reach the last-eight stage.

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But, even more so than the annihilation of Stoke, it is their outstanding performance here that will live longest in the memory of the inspirational 6,000 supporters who packed the Anfield Road end and the many more who watched from home and in the pubs of Blackburn.

And, on in this evidence, who is to say they cannot beat the Reds at the second time of asking in the money-spinning Ewood Park replay and secure a place in the semi-finals for the first time in eight years?

Liverpool came into the game as red-hot favourites after winning 13 and drawing five of their last 19 domestic matches.

But you could count on one hand the amount of saves Simon Eastwood had to make such was the unstinting and heroic efforts of the boys in blue and white in front of him.

From goalkeeper Eastwood to lone striker Rudy Gestede, they all did the club a great service.

And, 20 years on since Rovers lifted the Premiership trophy here, and 15 years on since they dumped the Reds out of the FA Cup fourth round here too, had it not been for Simon Mignolet’s superb second-half stop from Alex Baptiste, we could even have been talking about one of the greatest shocks in the club’s history.

On a glorious late winter’s afternoon, inside one of the game’s true cathedrals, the atmosphere that had been building before kick-off reached a crescendo when Andre Marriner sounded his whistle for the first time.

But once the action got under way the mood dampended after a sickening fall from Martin Skrtel.

The Liverpool defender spent nearly 10 minutes on his back being treated by medics before he was stretchered off to be replaced by Kolo Toure.

It was Rovers who reacted much the better to the long stoppage and, after Mignolet failed to deal with a Tom Cairney free kick, Gestede headed harmlessly wide.

It was a sign of things to come for the hustled and harried Reds with the majestic frontman going on to dominate their three-man defence in the first half.

But Gestede was not alone in impressing for a well-organised and ultra-disciplined Rovers side that was superbly set-up by their boss Bowyer.

They kept their shape and ensured that whenever they did not have possession, they worked tremendously hard to get it back or prevent their highly fancied opponents from doing anything with it.

Yes Liverpool had a penalty appeal turned down in the 20th minute – just when Rovers fans started their planned minute’s applause for the late, great Jack Walker, whose vision, wealth, ambition and drive made the 1995 Premiership title triumph possible – when Matt Kilgallon beat Adam Lallana to the ball in the box.

But it was not until the eight minutes of added time at the end of the half that Eastwood was called into action for the first time as he palmed away a stinging drive from Daniel Sturridge.

By that stage Rovers could have should have been ahead.

Firstly Glen Johnson chested a dangerous Craig Conway cross past his own post before Raheem Sterling, seemingly with his hand, blocked a Gestede volley.

But their best opportunity came in the 32nd minute when Tom Cairney opened up the Reds backline with a pass to Conway who should have done better than slice wide from the corner of the area.

It could have been a costly miss as moments later Toure had a goal ruled out for offside after Sturridge flicked on a Jordan Henderson free kick.

The sighs from the Liverpool supporters that greeted the half-time whistle told you all you needed to know. Rovers had got under their skin.

And their frustration so nearly turned to despair four minutes after the restart when Mignolet made a one-handed save to stop Baptiste’s bullet header from a Conway corner finding the top corner.

Baptiste then made a timely block to prevent the lively Sturridge from worrying Eastwood yet it was not until the arrival of Mario Balotelli that his goal began to come under sustained pressure.

But, with Lee Williamson and Corry Evans negating the threat of Lallana and Philippe Coutinho, even then the Reds had to work extremely hard for their openings.

Their most promising one came in the 74th minute when Baptiste was unable to cut out a Balotelli ball over the top to Sturridge who, under pressure from Kilgallon, blazed wide.

Balotelli then found space 25 yards from goal yett his attempt went straight down Eastwood’s throat.

Eastwood then had to stretch out a leg to deny Henderson after a Liverpool corner broke to their captain.

But, apart from when Sterling headed a Johnson cross wide at the back post, his goal was not troubled again as Rovers, fairly comfortable, kept the Reds at bay.

Roll on the replay.