DIAMANTI: MY PENALTY WAS A GEM.

Byline: NEIL McLEMAN

ALESSANDRO DIAMANTI laughed off claims he kicked the ball twice while opening his goalscoring account from the penalty spot for West Ham.

His manager Gianfranco Zola has admitted he liked the "craziness" in the eyes of his new pounds 6million signing from Italian side Livorno.

And there was definitely a touch of madness about his 29th-minute equaliser which TV replays appeared to show he illegally struck twice as he slipped taking the kick.

The penalty looped into the roof of Pepe Reina's goal and Liverpool players protested the Italian had accidentally kicked the ball against his left foot with his right.

But when told of the controversy, 26-year-old Diamanti said: "Really? I don't care. It deserved a goal. I slipped but I don't believe I touched it twice. I was trying to hit it down the middle and that is what happened. "I am just sorry we lost because we played well as a team."

Gianfranco Zola celebrated his first anniversary at Upton Park by donning a neat blue suit on the touchline but he could not fashion a first win since the opening day of the season despite a sharper display. "With a tracksuit it looks like I want to go on the pitch with the fans a little bit!" he said.