Blackburn Rovers assistant manager Neil McDonald hailed the heroics of goalkeeper Paul Robinson in their Carling Cup shootout victory over Chelsea.

Robinson saved spotkicks from Michael Ballack and Gael Kakuta to send Rovers into the semis.

"He's made a couple of great saves," McDonald told Radio Rovers after the game. "He's been in great form recently.

"Yes we can slightly point the finger for the last one in not punching it away, but it just added to the drama."

It was Robinson's error that allowed Paulo Ferreira's last gasp leveller, but the Rovers number one showed tremendous mental strength to pick himself up from that disappointment to then play his key role in the nerve jangling situation.

"He was very comfortable before, he'd mopped up everything behind and was fantastic, but sometimes you come and you don't always get what you want.

"But for him to experience that right at the end to then pull himself together emotionally to make two saves is fantastic."