GARRETH O'Connor climbed down from the cloud of Carling Cup success and warned: "Doncaster will be even tougher."

The Irishman, who fired home a fine volleyed equaliser and later tucked away a penalty in the shoot-out in the remarkable Blackburn showdown, believes the confidence of the Cherries side will have been given a huge lift after their midweek success.

But with thoughts now returning to Saturday's Coca-Cola League One visit of Doncaster Rovers (Fitness First Stadium, 3pm kick-off), O'Connor is aware of the threat of a different Rovers side.

He told the Daily Echo: "The Doncaster game may not be as glamorous but if anything, it is more important for us than the Blackburn game.

"We should be full of confidence going into the game but we cannot afford to be lax about it.

"I'm expecting a tougher, more physical game than Blackburn because we know they will want to get stuck into us right away.

"We were in a real slump but did well to get out of that at Hillsborough. To then beat a Premiership side as we did means that each and every one of us has to be full of confidence now."

He added: "I'm sure it will be tough but we need to approach it expecting to get three points to keep the run going.

"Doncaster are a big, strong and powerful team but we need to compete and then show what we can do on the ball."

Although it is sometimes discouraged to look back in football, the former Bohemians midfielder was still smiling as he recalled the Ewood Park clash - one of Cherries' most dramatic games for many years.

He said: "It was a great game to play in - and especially to win it. It had so many ups and downs, we conceded a goal early and that really deflated us.

"We were under a lot of pressure and if they had got another one at that point, it could have been a cricket score but my goal sort of steadied the ship and gave us all a bit more confidence."

"Then Broady (Karl Broadhurst) scored with a great header. I didn't realise at the time that it was such a good header but I've seen it on TV and it was a great goal. We were buzzing when that went in and then it was terrible feeling when we let the equaliser in."

The 25-year-old also admitted he felt his side's chance had gone when Morten Gamst Pedersen tucked away a last-gasp equaliser in injury time.

First published: Sept 24