I WAS IN TEARS AS ANGRY FANS TRIED TO STORM DRESSING ROOM
Stalwart Matt loving Prem high life after low of relegation to League One
SURVIVOR Matt Doherty has lived through the roller-coaster years at Wolves – and he says all the heartache was worth it.
Irish defender Doherty was the only player in old gold who featured in both last week’s 2-2 draw with Everton, on the club’s return to the penthouse, and their previous Premier League campaign in 2011-12.
After serving under eight managers in as many years, Doherty has seen everything from promotion parades to angry fans trying to force their way into the dressing room after a defeat.
And as Wolves head for the King Power, he is still enjoying the ride like a theme park thrill-seeker.
Doherty, who has clocked up 202 appearances at Molineux, said: “People talk about roller-coasters in football, but my time here has genuinely been like that.
“I’ve been through relegation, promotion, a near-miss with the play-offs and of course winning the Championship last season – which made everything that happened before worthwhile. I guess you go into every season thinking, ‘This will be our year’, but it doesn’t always work out that way and you learn to live with the highs and lows.”
For Doherty, the worst was a home defeat by Burnley in 2013 which all but condemned Wolves to a second consecutive drop.
After six years under Mick Mccarthy, fans were not impressed with the baton being passed from Terry Connor to Stale Solbakken and Dean Saunders in just 15 months.
Doherty said: “That was the low point – the fans were on the pitch afterwards and they were trying to get into the changing rooms because they weren’t happy.
“That hit me pretty hard and I was crying in the dressing room.
“Obviously the high point was the whole of last season, but the game where I felt the best would be away at Bristol City.
“We were down to 10 men for most of the game and then fell behind, but we fought back to win and that match really showed what we are all about.
“Last year it just clicked and it was so enjoyable to play in that side you couldn’t wait for the next game to come round.
“When you are in mid-table, you might win the game, and then look at the table and see you’re still only 16th or whatever, and it dawns that you’re not getting any more satisfaction out of it. But when you’re winning games and you’re top of the table, it’s the best feeling.
“I’m quite proud I’ve managed to play through pretty much all of it, because we’ve been through a few managers since I came to the club. That gives me a lot of confidence because I’m obviously doing something right.”
Wolves had to fight back twice to earn a 2-2 draw with Everton on their re-entry into Premier League orbit, and Doherty shrugged: “We know there are times when we are going to be challenged, but that’s better than just coasting down below.”