GOALKEEPER Simon Eastwood believes the fact that Blackburn Rovers did not pay Liverpool too much respect was one of the key reasons why they were able to earn a second crack at a place in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Premier League high flyers Liverpool dominated possession in yesterday’s last-eight clash at a sold-out and expectant Anfield.

But of the 21 shots they had on goal only four were on target and only one, from Daniel Sturridge in first-half injury-time, seriously tested the recalled Eastwood.

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And, while Rovers spent most of the second match penned into their own half, they carried a threat of their own and, after Craig Conway sliced an excellent opportunity wide, they went closest to ending the stalemate when Eastwood’s opposite number Simon Mignolet superbly saved from Alex Baptiste.

“If someone would have said it’d be 0-0 before the game I think we all would have taken it as it’s such a tough place to come Anfield,” said Eastwood, who has played every minute in Rovers’ run to within one win of the Wembley semi-finals.

“To get them back to Ewood Park is something we’re looking forward to and we’ve given ourselves a good chance.

“We came up with a game plan to set-up and hit them on the counter-attack and I think not showing them so much respect helped us, which a lot of teams do, because at the end of the day it’s just 11 v 11.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s very tough coming to a place this, with the atmosphere, the crowd, and everything that goes with it, so the lads are delighted in there that we’ve given ourselves another chance.

“They are some of the best players in the world and the front three, I’ve never played anything like that before in terms of the quickness of their feet, their touch and how quickly they can get a shot away, it just shows what a top-class outfit they are.”

The Ewood replay is set to take place in the week beginning April 6.

“I think it could be a completely different game and an even tougher game,” said Eastwood, who is back-up to Jason Steele in the Championship for Rovers.

“Liverpool can turn it on and punish you and we’ll again have to stay in the game for as long as we can and take any chance that comes our way.

“We defended really well as a back four today and limited them to not too much.

“The lads are delighted to get a clean sheet at Anfield. It’s something I’m really proud of and now we’re looking forward to the replay.”

Eastwood also paid tribute to the role Rovers boss Gary Bowyer played.

He said: “The manager deserves a massive amount of credit because he’s the one who does the game plan and he’s the one who sets us up and tells us how to do it and it definitely worked today.

“It’s been a good day for the club.”