Worthington Cup finalists Blackburn needed a last-gasp Andy Cole header and a world-class save from goalkeeper Brad Friedel to claim their place in the last 16 of the FA Cup at Division One frontrunners Millwall today.

Former Manchester United striker Cole bundled home an 86th-minute Alan Mahon cross after Friedel had kept the scoreline blank by spectacularly clawing a looping Darren Ward header off his goalline just before the interval.

The first half was a turgid affair, with Friedel's breathtaking save from Ward's effort one of the few moments of excitement.

The second period was a considerable improvement, with Rovers riding out a Millwall storm that included a wasted close-range opportunity for Neil Harris, before Cole's late winner.

The clash brought Millwall's Tim Cahill up against his close friend Lucas Neill.

The Australian pair have remained in touch since Neill's move from the Lions to Rovers in September - and faced each other after Cahill overcame the gashed shin that had kept him out of his side's previous three matches.

However, Steve Claridge was a surprise omission with a knee injury and 16-goal top-scorer Richard Sadlier failed a fitness test on his groin strain.

For Blackburn, Keith Gillespie missed out with 'flu and David Dunn remained sidelined with his calf problem.

Garry Flitcroft dragged an 18-yard drive a foot wide of the right post in the 11th minute, after Matt Jansen's forward surge.

The best chance of the first 20 minutes fell to home winger Paul Ifill when Matt Lawrence's cross deflected through to him at the far post. He cut inside but blazed wildly high and wide.

Play swept to the other end and Cole looked poised to give the visitors the lead when he side-footed goalwards with keeper Willy Gueret was stranded.

However, home striker Harris was back in his own box to make made a crucial block.

This cup tie was unfortunately failing to live up to its billing as a possible thriller - although Friedel had to make a fantastic save to keep the scoreline blank four minutes before the interval.

Reid's far-post free-kick was met with a looping header by Ward - and the American scrambled back to brilliantly scoop the ball off his goalline.

The keeper was in action again four minutes after the break. He opted to punch a run-of-the-mill cross - and when Livermore met his clearance with a thundering 20-yard volley, the shot-stopper dived to make a solid save.

The home side then came close to taking the lead three times inside three minutes.

First, Rovers centre-back Martin Taylor made a hash of a clearance and had to make a crunching tackle on Robbie Ryan as he tried to sweep the ball home from eight yards.

From the resulting Reid corner, Cahill headed narrowly wide. And in the 58th minute, Harris spurned the best chance of the game when he clipped Ifill's pinpoint cross over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.

Lions keeper Gueret made a smart stop from Flitcroft's 18-yard drive five minutes later - and at the other end, Cahill thumped another header from a Reid corner flashing past the angle of post and bar.

Gueret also made an excellent save from a powerful Jansen free-kick that squirted through a forest of legs - and survived an 80th-minute scare when a Damien Duff strike squeezed through his hands and luckily rebounded off the post and into his lap.

The shot-stopper also punched away a fiercely-hit Cole effort - but the £8million striker finally broke the deadlock in the 86th minute.

The former Manchester United forward, taunted throughout by the home fans, leapt highest to head a Alan Mahon cross into the net and put Rovers into the draw for the last 16 of the FA Cup.

Teams:

Millwall: Gueret, Lawrence, Nethercott, Dyche, Ward, Ryan, Ifill (Braniff 84), Cahill, Livermore, Reid, Harris.

Subs Not Used: Harpur, Green, Bircham, Bull.

Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Taylor, Johansson, Bjornebye (Duff 63), Johnson, Flitcroft, Tugay, Mahon, Cole, Jansen (Grabbi 76).

Subs Not Used: Kelly, Berg, Hughes.

Booked: Mahon.

Goals: Cole 87.

Att: 15,004

Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).