Lorraine insists Diamonds can still avoid the drop despite damaging Gresley defeat

Rock-bottom Diamonds hosted the team directly above them in the Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Division, desperately needing a win to spark their survival bid into action.

But despite dominationg possession for long periods, Michael Harriman's side were undone 3-0, with John King netting a goal in each half, and Jack Ekins-Tyson sealing the win for the visitors with a last-minute strike.

On a miserable day, Diamonds also ended the game with nine men following the late dismissals of Jacob Scott and Jarvis Wilson, both for two bookings, and the result means they are now a massive 14 points adrift of safety with just 17 matches left to play.

Diamonds have claimed a pitiful four points from their first 21 fixtures, and it looks a hopeless situation for the Hayden Road outfit, but Lorraine insists the team is still capable of putting the results together to avoid the drop.

Asked if he feels the season is now over for Diamonds, Lorraine told BBC Radio Northampton: "No, I don't feel it's over, I genuinely don't.

"We have shown in previous games that we have the ability to be the better team in probably 75 per cent of the matches we have played.

"That gives us positivity, and gives us reason for optimism.

"But we know the crucial elements of the games, in front of both goals, we haven't been good enough.

"We have conceded too easily, and we have then not converted the chances we have got, and not created enough when we have got the ball forward.

"But I will never give up, and neither will any of the staff or players, I can assure everybody of that."

And he added: "There is an element at this football club, where it has almost learned to accept defeat, and accept sub-standards really.

"I have been here for a long time, and I have never accepted that.

"The football club is not about that, and I am not like that as a person. I only accept success, and if we are not succeeding we have to find the reason why and we have to put it right.

"We made it clear to the players after Saturday that what happened in that game, and has happened in previous matches, is not acceptable.

"It doesn't matter how pretty you play across midfield, or how much you keep the ball, how much territory you have and all of those kind of stats, the things that matter are how many goals you score against how many goals the opposition score.

"At the moment, we are falling short on both of those aspects.

"So we have made it absolutely abundantly clear to the players, that what we are currently serving up is not good enough, and we are letting this football club down, we are letting the fans down, and we must improve."

Diamonds now have a free midweek before they return to action on Saturday with a trip to mid-table Bedworth United.

Harriman and his players will be hoping to claim a first away point this season, having lost all 11 of their previous road trips.