Success in the FA Cup can be as much about saving matches as winning them. By this token the replay that Blackburn forced at Upton Park on Saturday strengthened the case for them reaching Wembley this season more than their impressive victory at Hillsborough in the previous round had.

The last time Blackburn appeared in an FA Cup final they were reduced to 10 men. The last time they won the trophy they scored in the opening two minutes. In drawing 2-2 with West Ham United, Roy Hodgson's side managed to relive both of those experiences.

Those who read tea leaves may see some significance in this. From a practical viewpoint, however, the reason why Blackburn are looking a particularly good Cup bet just now has more to do with the team's ability to adapt and improvise to meet a variety of situations.

At half-time on Saturday Rovers appeared to be heading out of the competition. They were 2-1 down and Kevin Gallacher had been sent off in the 33rd minute for catching Eyal Berkovic in the face with a flailing arm.

As if that was not bad enough, Colin Hendry's habitual mastery of the defensive arts was frequently being challenged by the strength and judgment in the air of John Hartson, West Ham's Welsh international striker, who continues to offer reminders that the term "centre-forward" is by no means a dated description.

As it turned out the header from Hartson that thudded against the bar in the 45th minute was the nearest West Ham came to putting the tie further beyond Blackburn's reach. Right on the hour Chris Sutton, in his own way as big an attacking influence as Hartson, headed in a centre from Jason Wilcox.

By the end of the match it was hard to tell just which team was a player short, so completely had Blackburn re-established their grip of the opening 20 minutes. It was then that one remembered just how recently the Premiership title had gone to Ewood Park, and why. Now these qualities are promising to bring the FA Cup to Blackburn for the seventh time.

Saturday's opening goal was a gentlemanly affair, instigated by Ian Pearce courteously refraining from tackling Sutton, who then set up a double exchange of passes with Gallacher before the latter miss-hit the ball past Craig Forrest. So composed was Blackburn's football for a time that it was hard to see West Ham keeping the ball long enough to shoot, let alone draw level. Then Blackburn lost their rag with Berkovic.

Not that the referee, Peter Jones, had any hesitation in sending Gallacher off. Jones had already established strict guidelines regarding arms by booking Gary Flitcroft for a brief and harmless 50-50 entanglement with Stan Lazaridis, so at least his refereeing was consistent.

Hodgson must have been concerned about the loss of defensive discipline that contributed to West Ham's goals, Paul Kitson being left with plenty of room to roll the ball past Tim Flowers from Lazaridis's cross and Berkovic helping Hartson's 20-yard drive over the line after Flowers had blocked two shots.

"I would like to think that at half-time we settled ourselves down," Hodgson explained, "and that applied to the bench as well as the players." Certainly Blackburn remained calm thereafter and deserved their replay, although had Kitson, liberally supplied with chances by Hartson, shown similar composure in front of goal West Ham would still have won this compelling tie.