Bloodied but unbowed

cut above . . . Zander Diamond celebrates his goal against Yeovil.

Diamond puts body on line in Latics cause

THE CUT on his left eyebrow which required three stitches was never going to prevent Zander Diamond from staying on the field until the last kick on Saturday.

The ex-Aberdeen star — who celebrated his 27th birthday yesterday — sustained the injury in a clash of heads in the first half of the defeat to Yeovil.

Having spent the entirety of the previous four games watching from the substitutes’ bench, though, Diamond came back onto the field sporting a Terry Butcher-style bandage.

And the centre-back’s resilience was underlined when he rose to head home a Filipe Morais cross in the second half.

“When you play in my position, it is not the first war wound and it won’t be the last,” said Diamond, who is set to keep his place in the team to face Stevenage tonight (7.45pm kick-off).

“It was an opening up of an old wound. You have to put your body on the line and that is what I did.”

Athletic have their sights set on recovering from the blow of losing consecutive matches at home. Both results hinged on some poor finishing and a lack of concentration in defence.

“I thought we created so much (against Yeovil) whereas they scored from their two chances,” Diamond added.

“It is frustrating from that point of view.

“We came away with just one goal when we could have had three or four. It is the same old story.

“But there is no point in making excuses. We need to go again and rally at Stevenage.”

The compact Lamex Stadium will tonight provide a stern examination of Athletic’s credentials, according to Diamond.

“I watched their FA cup home tie against Tottenham and the crowd gets right behind them,” he said.

“It is an old-fashioned stadium with the crowd right upon you and they will make it difficult.

“They have promotion ambitions. But we have our own ambitions to get up the league and it will be a tough old battle.

“But if we play to our strengths, then I don’t see why we can’t win there.”

Whether it is partnering teenager James Tarkowski or the more experienced Jean-Yves Mvoto, Diamond is determined to stay in the team having again been given an opportunity.

“It was good to get 90 minutes under my belt, from a personal point of view,” he said. “It had been four games and it is frustrating sitting on the sidelines.

“The opportunity came and hopefully, I took it with both hands.

“My aim is to stay in the side from now up to the end of the season.”