Morais the merrier

FILIPE Morais is delighted to have battled back from the brink with Athletic, once again showing his skills to good effect.

The tricky winger fell out of favour with manager Paul Dickov earlier this term and was restricted mainly to cameo appearances — the most telling of which was when netting a late equaliser at npower League One leaders Charlton.

Morais believes that, at the age of 26, he is now beyond the tendency to wander from club to club when things go against him.

And after netting an excellent opening goal against Walsall on Tuesday, he admits to holding pride in the fact that he has fought his way back to once again being a first choice on the wing under manager Paul Dickov.

"I was very angry at not playing before and I am sure the manager knew that," said the former Chelsea trainee, in his second season at Boundary Park after spending three years in Scotland with Hibs, Inverness and St Johnstone.

"In the past, when I have gone out of the team I have lost it and moved clubs. Maybe it is my age and maturity. I have stuck to my beliefs and I am back in the team and doing well.

"It means a lot to me and I am quite proud of myself."

While having a big hand in the confidence-boosting 2-1 home win over the Saddlers, Morais admits there are still areas of concern for Athletic following the visitors’ second-half fightback which so nearly claimed them a point.

"It was a vitally-important win for us, but we were very lucky in the second half and I was really disappointed in all honesty with how we played," he added, following a contest in which a Robbie Simpson strike helped Dickov's men to a 2-0 interval lead.

"We all said how important it was to play two-touch and keep the ball. But over half the team didn't do it and that is why we invited pressure.

"It was disappointing. We need to look at what we did wrong and we will do that.

"But we got the three points and that is the most important thing."

This weekend's opponents, MK Dons, are a club Morais spent time with on loan six years ago and the winger is looking forward to playing in a slick arena against a renowned passing side.

"It is a big, big game on Saturday and a big stage," Morais said. "We will go there and enjoy it.

"We have to go there and pass and move — it is how we all like to play. We want to play exciting football."

Dickov hopes that, finally, his captain Dean Furman will be fit to make his return from strained medial knee ligaments at stadium:mk.

Zander Diamond and Reuben Reid are expected to be back in time to face Tranmere at home a week later.

“We are hopeful (on Furman)," Dickov said. "I know I have been saying that for a while, but he has come a long way in a short space of time and it is just getting over that final hurdle."




::ATHLETIC'S game at Brentford, postponed last weekend, has been rearranged for April 3.