After the award of a penalty, given after a Ryan Taylor push on Tim Cahill, Millwall had a golden opportunity to reach their first FA Cup semi-final for 67 years.

Kevin Muscat accepted the responsibility and the Australian international hit his spot-kick sweetly. He could only watch in anguish as Achterberg scooped the ball over the bar and into the crowd.

The Millwall fans, who had created a memorable atmosphere at a packed New Den, let out a collective and heartfelt groan, whilst the honorary Dutch Scouser was mobbed by his relieved and jubilant team-mates.

Achterberg had only been able to play in the match with the aid of a pain-killing injection following a knee injury he sustained in the warm-up before Tranmere played Swindon on Wednesday. How Millwall must have wished he was watching from the stands instead of forming an immovable object in the Rovers’ goal.

His penalty save was far from his only heroic act of a frenetic afternoon. His 37th minute save from a Tim Cahill header was another supreme example of the excellence that frustrated Dennis Wise’s side throughout the match.

Achterberg was clearly determined to do everything in his power to maintain Tranmere’s FA Cup run. Of his injection he said: "You can always put up with a bit of pain and no one wants tomiss out on a game like this."

Achterberg had arrived at Prenton Park on a free transfer from FC Utrecht, as a replacement for Everton-bound Steve Simonsen, in September 1998.

The Dutchman impressed during a two-week trial with the club and John Aldridge, then manager, plunged him straight into first-team action. However, after a bright start to his career on the Wirral, life threatened to go sour as he found himself dropped for the biggest game in Tranmere’s history.

He watched Rovers’ Worthington Cup Final against Leicester from the stands, pondering his future.

The birth of his first child in the summer of 2000 was expected to precede a return to his homeland but the 33-year-old, much to Millwall’s ultimate misfortune, had a change of heart.

He has since established himself as a firm fans’ favourite and barring a worsening of his knee injury, one would expect him to be the first name on Brian Little’s team sheet for the Prenton Park replay on the 16th. All of which must leave Dennis Wise hoping that Sunday’s inspired display was a one-off.