WORTHINGTON CUP Q/F - WIGAN ATHLETIC 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 2: Andy Cole last night sunk Wigan's English League Cup dream and kept holders Blackburn on track for a second consecutive final appearance in Cardiff.
Cole's fine double proved enough to break the hearts of the second division side, but only after Rovers had emerged unscathed from a spirited second-half fightback.
Wigan poured forward in the later stages as they strove to cancel out Cole's clinical 16th-minute opener.
Brad Friedel made fine saves from Gary Teale and Neil Roberts while Stig Inge Bjornebye was forced to clear a deflected corner off his own line.
It all proved too much for Rovers boss Graeme Souness, who was sent to the stands in the 56th minute by referee Andy D'Urso following a heated exchange with fourth official Matt Messias.
But Rovers' rearguard for once held firm under pressure and Cole sealed his side's path into the last four 10 minutes from time when he raced on to David Thompson's precise through ball and fired past John Filan.
Nathan Ellington rated Cole as one of his heroes after the draw was made, but the front man sought to embarrass him by continuing his remarkable cup exploits. Ellington had hit five goals during Wigan's run in which they accounted for West Brom, Fulham and Manchester City.
He made a lively start, cueing up a long-range chance for Tony Dinning then bustling past Craig Short before being ruled offside, but the home side's early possession was not bothering Friedel.
Thompson should have put Rovers ahead when he was put through by Lucas Neill but shot across the face of goal.
Wigan were certainly not overawed and almost caught Rovers napping with an 11th-minute Peter Kennedy free-kick which evaded all but Jason de Vos at the far post, who headed straight into Friedel's arms.
Neill and Garry Flitcroft both had shots saved by Filan before Cole should have opened his account when he charged down on goal but dribbled his shot against the base of the post. Two minutes later, he made up for his miss when he raced on to a great Tugay through ball and slammed a fine shot past Filan from 10 yards.
Cole then raced clear, but saw his shot blocked by an alert Filan before his second strike which ended the cup dream of the majority of Wigan's stadium record 16,922 crowd.
WIGAN: Filan, Eaden, Jackson, De Vos, Baines, Green (Flynn 72), Dinning, Jarrett, Kennedy (Teale 62), Roberts, Ellington. Subs Not Used: Beasant, Mitchell, Breckin.
BLACKBURN: Friedel, Neill, Short, Taylor, Bjornebye (Johansson 82), Gillespie, Thompson, Tugay, Flitcroft, Cole (Jansen 84), Yorke (Ostenstad 83). Subs Not Used: Kelly, Danns. Booked: Flitcroft. Goals: Cole 16, 80.
Referee: A D'Urso (Essex).
