BATHGATE THISTLE midfielder Stephen Docherty today insisted that reaching the Scottish Junior Cup final has justified his decision to quit senior football.
The 32-year-old turned his back on the captaincy at Airdrie United at the start of last season to sign for Thistle, which raised eyebrows with many in both the senior and Junior game.
His debut season at Creamery Park failed to live up to expecta
tion and many critics questioned whether or not he had made the right decision signing for Willie Hill's men.
However, this term the former Clydebank and Partick Thistle star has been a stand-out performer for Thistle, with his displays earning him a call up to the Scotland Juniors set-up.
It was Docherty's 92nd-minute equaliser in the semi-final against Pollok at the weekend that rescued Bathgate and took the tie to extra time, where a goal from Kevin Haynes clinched victory.
And Docherty believes that a trip to face Cumnock in the final at Rugby Park on Sunday, June 1 proves he was right to sign for his home-town outfit.
"The reason I signed for Bathgate was to play in Scottish Junior Cup finals, so I'm delighted that we've got there," he said.
"Everybody that goes Junior wants to play in that game as they know it's the most important game of the season. I didn't think we were going to do it at one stage as we were 30 seconds or so from losing the game, so to get such a late equaliser was fantastic.
"That gave us a lift and put them on a real downer, so by the time we went into extra-time we were really confident. I just saw somebody challenging the goalkeeper and took a bit of a gamble on where the ball was going to land and tried to hook it in. It was a great feeling when it hit the net."
However, once extra-time was underway Docherty could hardly walk due to a groin strain but, with Bathgate having used all three substitutes, he soldiered on. Docherty is part of the Scotland Juniors Squad travelling to the Isle of Man for the Umbro Quadrangular Tournament tomorrow with a question mark now hanging over his participation. However, he is confident that with treatment today and tomorrow he will be declared fit for Scotland's fixtures.
"I did my groin and could hardly walk towards the end but I asked if we'd any subs left and when I was told we didn't I figured I'd be better off on the park," he explained. "I was really just taking up space and wasn't doing much running but it kept one of their players busy. My groin could have totally gone but, touch wood, it doesn't seem to have and I'm hopeful of being involved with Scotland."
The Rugby Park final gives Bathgate a chance to banish the memories of losing 2-1 to Auchinleck Talbot in the showpiece game two years ago, a game Docherty was a spectator at. Docherty said: "We want to make up for that defeat and hopefully we can."
Meanwhile, Haynes is reported to have signed a pre-contract deal to re-join Berwick Rangers who Bathgate signed him from at the start of this season.
• LINLITHGOW ROSE midfielder Mark Tyrell has been called up to the Scotland Junior squad after Irvine Meadow's Stephen Swift was forced to withdraw through injury.
The full article contains 582 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
