JUSSI Jaaskelainen’s vital penalty save on Saturday was a triumph for a really outstanding player and a reward for the club’s backroom staff who leave nothing to chance in their preparation.

Match of the Day focused on it, highlighting how Jussi won the mind games against Ashley Young by virtually showing him which side he wanted him to place his spot-kick. It worked a treat and Jussi made the save to prevent Villa going 3-1 up and laid the foundation for a fightback that saw us take all three points.

That showed the importance of scouting and gathering all the information you can on your opponents. Clubs are so thorough these days that they know just about everything there is to know about the opposition and there is no question Jussi would have known before the game that Young, who had been successful with his last four attempts, prefers to place his penalties to one side.

I bumped into Jussi on Sunday morning when he was watching his boy, Will, playing for the academy under-13s and he admitted he did his best to persuade Young to put the ball to one side. Penalties are all about mind games and this was one Jussi won, as he has so often in his 499-game career with Bolton Wanderers. What an achievement it will be when he chalks up his 500.

Fewer penalties are scored these days than when I was playing, simply because of the pressure on the player taking the kick. The stakes are high, especially in the Premier League, teams are watched more and the preparation and information given to goalkeepers is much more detailed.

I’d still fancy myself to score. I always did, but I could never get the ball off John McGinlay. He was alway so confident, whatever the situation. Bolton fans might recall the final game of the 92-93 season when we played Preston at Burnden Park and needed a win to clinch promotion. It was 0-0 with 16 minutes left when we were awarded a penalty.

I looked at McGinlay and said: “Do you fancy it?”.

He just grabbed the ball and muttered: “What do you think?” Seconds later the ball was in the net and the rest, as they say, is history.

I’VE had a good feeling about the FA Cup all season and the way things have panned out I reckon Owen Coyle and the boys have a great chance of getting to Wembley – and not just for the semi-finals.

It’s not going to be easy at Birmingham on Saturday but there are so many different factors that make me feel this could be our year.

First and foremost we are going into the tie as the form team – unbeaten in five games and on the back of a big win against Aston Villa on Saturday.

I wouldn’t for one minute suggest it was one of our better performances of the season but the lads pulled together when they could have buckled and made sure they got the result. Gary Cahill will certainly be on a high after scoring twice against his former club in front of the England assistant manager, Franco Baldini, and you couldn’t ask for a better man to get the winner than Ivan Klasnic, who has been our talisman so far in the cup and who will again, I expect, take over from Daniel Sturridge who is cup-tied – one natural goalscorer replacing another.

I’m also looking at the opposition. We have to respect Birmingham – not least because they beat Arsenal to win the Carling Cup – but they have more important things on their minds at the moment trying to avoid relegation.

They’ve got one piece of silverware safely locked away in the trophy cabinet and they’ve booked a place in Europe.

It’s all right saying they are going for a cup double but their priority now is to make sure they stay in the Premier League.

And I’m sure I’m not the first and won’t be the last to suggest the Nat Lofthouse factor will play a part.

I’m a big sentimentalist – always have been where the FA Cup is concerned – and I can’t help thinking that, since the great man passed away in January, he’s been looking down on his team and cheering them on – back to the scene of his greatest triumph.

On the day, though, it might well come down to luck.

I’ll never forget that quarter-final in 1994 when we’d beaten Everton, Arsenal and Aston Villa and played Oldham at Burnden Park.

We were the better team by a mile and battered them for 90 minutes . . . and lost 1-0.

Will it be our day at St Andrews this weekend? Well, it won’t be for the want of trying.

Owen Coyle’s team will be well prepared, the players who are selected will not be short of confidence and there could not be a bigger incentive.

THE football “family” I often talk about was out in force on Sunday night at an event in support of former Wanderers player Gary Parkinson.

Parky has been left seriously paralysed after suffering a stroke and needs specialist support, particularly a specially-adapted wheelchair.

I went to the do along with David Lee and a number of other members of the backroom staff here at Bolton and there were representatives of his other former clubs, including Middlesbrough, Everton, Preston, Burnley and Blackpool.

There are a lot of us here at Bolton who have got fond memories of the lad. He is a smashing bloke and I was particularly close to him during his time here because we roomed together during the early 1990s.

He used to make me cups – whether I wanted them or not – so it was great to see people like Phil Brown, Martin Dobson, Jimmy Mullen and so many others who make up what you might call Parky’s extended family.

It was an emotional night but I’m sure the support was greatly appreciated by Parky’s wife, Debbie. We’re all rooting for him.

SOME of the players who turned up at the charity Masquerade Ball Kevin and Emma Davies put on at the Reebok on Saturday night looked a lot better in their masks than they normally do.

It was a great night, well supported by the likes of McFly and Peter Kay, and raised a lot of money for Kev and Emma’s charity, KiDs of Bolton.

Another example of football players giving something back to the community.

Well don Kev and Emma.