Alan Curbishley paid tribute to Carlton Cole after his match-winning contribution at Coventry City on Tuesday night.
The West Ham United manager admitted his team had not been at their best in winning 2-1 at the Ricoh Arena but took plenty of positives from his towering striker's display - and the fact that a place in the last eight of the competition had been secured. The 23-year-old Cole has now scored two in three games and will again lead the line on the return to league action against Bolton Wanderers on Sunday.
"Coley's worked ever so hard and deserved his goal," Curbishley said. "I hope it gives him more confidence because we play next at Upton Park and I hope he carries on. He has had to wait for his chance and he is now grabbing it." The last-gasp winner was the club's second in a row in the competition, with Dean Ashton having secured a 1-0 victory against Plymouth Argyle in the dying seconds.
The manager, who played Luis Boa Morte just behind Cole and saw him conjure up the equaliser, believed his young forward was profiting from the absence of others. "He finds it easier to play up there on his own," Curbishley added. "It is there for him, he understands what he has got to do. He just needs to make sure he doesn't go missing and switch off in games.
"He has got all the attributes but perhaps he has never been given a run and got that match fitness. So we may see something different from him now. He is there, he has got a chance. It is there for him to grab." Looking forward to the quarter-finals, and although mindful of the fact his team have "attacked the competition", Curbishley added "we know we have got to play better than that in the next round".