Defender battles back from Anfield anguish

PAUL Black admits he was “devastated” to have missed out on Athletic’s biggest trip of the season — and the biggest game of his career to date.

The youth team graduate, who has now played 75 first-team games, was dropped for the FA Cup tie at Liverpool after having had a tough time four days earlier in the npower League One draw at Chesterfield.

At Anfield, Kieran Lee occupied Black’s role at left-back with Tom Adeyemi in at right-back.

Since then the 22-year-old has fought his way back into the line-up.

“I’m happy to be back involved,” said Black, nearly four years on from his Athletic debut as a substitute in a 4-1 home rout of Huddersfield Town.

“It has been frustrating not to play, especially in the big game at Liverpool. I was devastated.

“But I got my head down and got back involved with the team.

“There is a lot of competition in the squad, but hopefully I can keep my place now.”

Black feels the players possess the spirit and ability to start climbing the League One table soon.

Athletic face a busy month, with five matches in three weeks. Tonight’s game at Stevenage will also need to be rearranged.

On Saturday against Brentford, the club bids for a first away win in the league since seeing off Leyton Orient in September.

“The morale is good,” he added. “We should have got something at Chesterfield in the first leg (of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy) and that lost us the tie.

“It is not that we have been performing badly, we just need to score more goals.

“We must be positive and stay together. There is a good group of lads in the dressing room and I am sure we can put this poor run to an end and start winning some games.”