Shropshire Star

From the Old Firm to a very different rivalry for Shrewsbury's Greg Docherty

A veteran of three Old Firm Derbies at the age of 22, boyhood Rangers fan Greg Docherty is now ready to make his mark on a grudge match south of the border.

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The energetic midfielder knows all about big-game atmosphere from his time at Ibrox, where he left to join Shrewsbury on loan in the summer.

Despite only joining the club he supported as a boy in January, Docherty has already played in three Old Firms – considered by many as one of the most feisty matches in world football.

Tonight Docherty hopes to be part of John Askey’s side that aims to right past and present wrongs at Walsall, where Shrewsbury haven’t won for 25 years.

His Old Firm adventures, one at Ibrox, one at Hampden Park and one at Celtic Park, came in the space of a month-and-a-half of each other as Docherty became accustomed to the rigours of playing for one of Scotland’s big two.

Unfortunately for the midfielder, he has yet to sample anything but an Old Firm defeat.

“It’s a bit of anxiety at the start, to be honest, nerves, but you’re raring to get out there and put your mark on the game,” said the two-goal midfielder assessing the buzz of a local derby.

“You have to make sure in a derby that you get off to a good start, win your first tackle and make your first pass, just to set your tone and let them know you’re there.

“I’d say it’s also about staying concentrated for the whole game. it can change in an instant, players can be a bit anxious and it can cause mistakes.

“Derbies can change so fast, momentum can swing. You can dominate and one mistake can be bitterly disappointing.”

Docherty is speaking from experience. His first Old Firm was the most gut-wrenching to date. The Gers led twice at home but still managed to lose 3-2 to 10-man Celtic.

He added: “Unfortunately for me I’ve not managed to come out on the positive side of it as yet.

“There was one going in our favour going well but one mistake cost us and it was sickening to be honest, it knocked us off our stride a wee bit, we were doing well and unbeaten in five or six games, playing well.

“It can be tough to get over if you lose in a derby but we’ve got to get the three games and take the game to Walsall.”

There may not be a crowd of 50,000-plus at the Banks’s tonight for Town’s trip down the M54, but Docherty – despite only arriving in the summer as one of Askey’s 16 new arrivals – knows the importance to supporters.

“I love that,” he added with a clear excitement of the task ahead.

“I love it when you see fans getting on at each other, it makes the atmosphere more special and particularly if you get a goal.

“We’ve got to go and frustrate their fans, get them on their backs and force them into a mistake.”

On Salop’s 25-year search for a win at Walsall, Docherty added: “That’s a long time, that’s too long for any fan. We need to go there with three points in mind.

“With our result on Saturday we’ve got two games now that need to be six points. We’ve got to start climbing this table.

“We’re not where we want to be. We want to be climbing up the other end of the table, going one better than last year or around the play-off spots again.”

Predicted line-ups:

Shrewsbury Town (4-3-3): Coleman; Emmanuel, Waterfall, Sadler (c), Beckles; Grant, Docherty, Norburn; Whalley, Angol, Amadi-Holloway.

Subs: Arnold (gk), Bolton, Barnett, Laurent, Okenabirhie, Gilliead, John-Lewis.

Walsall (4-3-3): Roberts; Devlin, Fitzwater, Guthrie, Leahy; Dobson, Ronan, Osbourne; Ismail, Ferrier, Ginnelly.

Memory lane:

Shrewsbury Town last won at Walsall in December 1993. Dean Spink netted the only goal of the game in the first-half in front of 4,979 supporters.

Key man:

The dynamic and all-action Ollie Norburn could be the one to step up to the plate in a derby-day midfield battle after impressing last time out.

Dangerman:

Josh Ginnelly

The winger, still only 21, made a name for himself during his formative years at Shrewsbury, having been a scholar at Aston Villa. Three substitute appearances for the first team were all it took to convince Burnley to sign him in 2015. Left for Walsall for a free in the summer and is already impressing.

Pie and a pint:

The King George V pub can be found in Wallows Lane just off the M6 opposite Morrisons. Great food and atmosphere there on match days.

Prediction:

Score draw.