The Swansea City midfielder spurned some good chances in the first game at the Liberty just over a week ago and he is ready to accept that those misses could cost the Swans dear.

The post and Mark Schwarzer kept Gower off the scoresheet as he continues that elusive search for his first Swansea goal – six months into the season.

And the Swans take on Fulham at Craven Cottage on Tuesday night knowing that the reward for victory will be a quarter final appearance against Manchester United – the side currently 8 points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Speaking to Wales on Sunday, Gower said โ€œI know I played well and I was pleased with that. And the staff have been great, telling me Iโ€™m not in the side to score goals.

โ€œThat was fine when it wasnโ€™t costing the side any points because weโ€™ve had Jason on fire and weโ€™d been keeping clean sheets.

โ€œBut when you miss a chance like I did against Fulham then itโ€™s not about you, itโ€™s about costing the team; and that sticks in your throat.

โ€œTo be fair, I think Iโ€™ve been unlucky so far this year but that was my first one I should have put away. Perhaps if Iโ€™d had a couple already and it wasnโ€™t going through my mind I would have.

โ€œSo to see Jason score later on was just a massive relief for me because we had dominated that game.

โ€œBut then when Manchester United comes out of the hat you canโ€™t help thinking that if I had put that in then we would be in the quarter-finals.

โ€œOr even if Iโ€™d just had a bit of luck off the post we could be looking forward to one of the biggest games of our careers. And thatโ€™s whatโ€™s getting to me. People are saying โ€˜unluckyโ€™ but when it starts costing the team itโ€™s not a joke.”

Amusingly Gower also says that he was advised not to take the dreaded number 11 shirt that seems to have become somewhat of a curse in recent seasons โ€œAt the start of the season a few of the boys told me not to take it because lads who had it before had not had the greatest of times here, especially in front of goal.

โ€œAnd I didnโ€™t want to take it at first after all that. Number 29 was available and I was 29 when I signed so I was happy to wear that.

โ€œBut the manager urged me to take the No.11 and here we are. But Iโ€™m just looking for something else to blame now because I really donโ€™t know whatโ€™s going on.

โ€œWe can beat Fulham without a shadow of a doubt; and thatโ€™s not just us saying that.

โ€œWhen you hear someone like Sir Alex Ferguson saying what he did you know you must have a chance.

โ€œSometimes you question yourself whether youโ€™re playing as well as you think, but then you hear what people like Sir Alex say and the TV coverage, and realise we are that good at the moment and we have nothing to fear.

โ€œEven talking to Simon Davies after the first game, he was saying how frustrated he was because he hardly had a kick and had to chase shadows for 90 minutes. If you can do that to a Premier League team then it says something and we canโ€™t help but take confidence from that.

โ€œAt first we were hoping for another lower-key game because you see what Cardiff and Barnsley did last year and you start dreaming.

โ€œBut then United come out and you realise youโ€™re one win away from such a fantastic opportunity and a game against the best team in the world.

โ€œAnd itโ€™s not just about United, itโ€™s the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and thatโ€™s a huge thing for many of us.

โ€œIt may not be a major, major achievement for some but although I started my career at Spurs I never played at the highest level; and for someone whoโ€™s only played two full years at this level itโ€™s big.

โ€œIโ€™m 30 and I know there might not be many more opportunities like this and itโ€™s definitely something you can look back on.

โ€œAnd we know if we go to Fulham and perform as we know we can, and be ourselves, that chance is there for us.โ€