Forget About It!

17 April 2011 11:12
The Dons have to think about today and not about the four other times they have played Celtic this season. Zander Diamond believes Aberdeen must forget all about the previous games against Celtic if they are to progress to the Scottish Cup final. The Dons have lost four times to their semi-final opponents this season, conceding 17 goals and scoring only one in the process. One of those defeats came at the same stage of the Co-operative Insurance Cup when Celtic were 4-0 up before half-time. Diamond said: "I've blanked it out. You can't dwell on the past and that game has gone. The game was over in 30 minutes and after that we were just left to restore a bit of pride. If the boys go on dwelling on what happened in the last semi-final it will be a difficult afternoon for us, but we're fully focused, it's a one-off game and if we are prepared right I don't see why we can't get to a final."  The defender, who is a target for Hearts when his contract ends at the end of the season, said: "The aim is to silence their big support, get the ball down and play like we know we can and take our chances when they come. If we do that then hopefully we can achieve a better outcome than the last time. If we're beaten on the day with a bit of quality we'll hold our hands up but we need to make sure there's no mistakes, keep it tight and hopefully get a rub of the green."  Diamond, who has never made it to a cup final in his 10 years with the Dons, knows it would be a great occasion both on a personal level and for the club to return to Hampden next month. He said: "It would be huge, everybody wants to get to major finals and if this is to be my last season it would be a great way to bow out. Everybody knows Aberdeen is a one-club city and the support here is second to none. It would be a massive day out if we were to make it to the final, we've got a massive hurdle to overcome in Celtic but we'll give it our best shot."  One of the reasons often cited for Aberdeen's poor form this season has been a lack of experience among the squad, and the defender is aware that he and other seasoned campaigners like Paul Hartley will have a big part to play today. He added: "We need to stress to them that these occasions don't come along very often and they have to enjoy it and not get caught up in the atmosphere. I'm sure there will be a few younger ones playing on Sunday so as older heads you have to coach them and help them through it. It is a day they'll remember and if we can get to the final they will remember it even more."

Source: FOOTYMAD