Craig Bellamy scores his first Rovers goal

ROVERS name will be in the hat when the third round draw is made on Saturday, but they were pushed all the way by an impressive Huddersfield outfit.

Craig Bellamy stole the show with a goal in each half for Rovers, earning the man-of-the-match award. There was also a first goal in Rovers colours for Zurab Khizanishvili.

But Huddersfield never gave up and Pawel Abbott caused a few nerves when he pulled a goal back with ten minutes from time.

Mark Hughes made four changes to the side that lost at Newcastle at the weekend, Michael Gray came in for his first start in a Rovers shirt for almost twelve months, whilst Paul Dickov, Brett Emerton and Tugay all returned.

Huddersfield started brightly pressing Rovers well, trying to force mistakes out of the Premiership side, but slowly the home side got on top.

It took just eleven minutes for Rovers to take the lead, Craig Bellamy found Brett Emerton inside, the Australian international returned the pass with pace on it and Bellamy raced clear to beat Paul Rachubka from a tight angle.

The players congratulate Bellamy

A minute later Bellamy showed his pace again, but this time he was too quick and flagged offside as he ran through on goal.

For all their effort it took Huddersfield 24 minutes before causing Rovers trouble. Pawel Abbott's free kick flashing inches wide with Friedel diving full length to his right.

Ryan Nelsen hasn't opened his account for Rovers, and he had two golden chances to increase the lead but put two headers from corner wide of the goal.

Nelsen heads a golden chance wide

But the end of the first half was marred by some ridiculous officiating. The linesman on the near side had his flag constantly raised, with the man in black appearing to be confused by which player was on the ball as their speed going forward was perhaps a little bit too much for him to follow.

It left a bitter taste in the mouth at half time, as both Dickov and Bellamy were booked for questioning the decisions.

Huddersfield almost caught Rovers napping at the start of the second, Worthington and Abbott exchanged passes, before Worthington shot just over the bar.

It was fast and furious stuff, with the play stretched all over the pitch, it meant that there were chances all over the place, but neither side were able to make things count.

Zurab Khizanishvili celebrates his goal

But on the hour mark Rovers were able to breath easier when Khizanishvili headed home from a Bentley corner. It was cruel on goalkeeper Rachubka as he had pulled off an outstanding diving save to deny Emerton in the run up to the corner.

Seconds later however, Chris Brandon broke free on the right of the area, he forced a fine save from Brad Friedel, though the referee awarded Rovers a goalkick.

David Bentley almost grabbed his first goal for Rovers when he skipped past a couple of defenders before floating an effort that had the goalkeeper scrambling backwards, but the ball ended on the roof of the net.

Peter Jackson made a double substitution with ten minutes remaining and it paid immediate dividends. Taylor-Fletcher had only been on the pitch twenty seconds when he fed the ball through to Abbott into the area, and the Huddersfield top scorer turned and fired low past Friedel.

It could have meant a nervy final ten minutes for Rovers, but those worries were eased when substitute Morten Gamst Pedersen fed the ball through to Bellamy, he outpaced his marker before taking the ball round the goalkeeper and tucked the ball away with ease with seven minutes remaining.

Craig Bellamy grabs his second goal

Abbott tried an audacious chip from 30 yards that almost beat Friedel, but Rovers weren't to be denied, avoiding a cup upset.

The cup draw for the next round take place on Saturday lunchtime.

ROVERS: Friedel, Neill, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Gray (sub Mokoena 84 mins), Bentley, Tugay, Savage, Emerton (sub Pedersen 72 mins), Dickov (sub Kuqi 86 mins), Bellamy. Subs not used: Enckelman, Reid.

HUDDERSFIELD: Rachubka, Holdsworth, Adams, Clarke, Carss, Abbott, Schofield (sub Hudson 79 mins), McCombe, Worthington (c), Mendes (sub Brandon 46 mins), Booth (sub Taylor-Fletcher 79 mins). Subs: Senior, Collins.

Booked: Bellamy, Dickov, Emerton (Rovers), Schofield, Brandon (Huddersfield).

Attendance: 11,755