I hope clean sheets keep gaffer sweet
ROSS DOOHAN is hoping a hat-trick of clean sheets persuades Ross County manager Stuart Kettlewell to keep him in his starting line-up.
The Celtic keeper has had to wait patiently for his chance since joining on a season-long loan in August.
But after Doohan’s fine performances in Scotland Under-21s’ 2-0 triumph over the Czech Republic and 7-0 hammering of San Marino, Kettlewell handed him a debut over established Ross Laidlaw against Hibs.
Doohan didn’t disappoint, pulling off three strong saves in the second half as County held out for a point to make it three games unbeaten.
The 22-year-old has nothing but praise for how Laidlaw has performed this season but would love an extended run in the team.
He said: “I was away on international duty and played a couple of games there - and played well.
“I got told when I came in for training that I’d be starting the Hibs game.
“I’ve been training hard and waiting for the opportunity, so thankfully it came.
“Hopefully, with a clean sheet and decent performance, I’ve strengthened my claim for a start in the next match.
“I’ve spent the last two years at Ayr and played regular football in the Championship.
“But I felt it was the right time to take the step up and pit myself against Premiership strikers.
“I’m here to try to get as many games as possible, work hard and benefit from the experience.”
Doohan felt he got rid of any rustiness during Scotland duty, with valuable game time in their quest for Euro Championship qualification making him sharp for Hibs.
He said: “We achieved two good results and we’re close now to achieving something really good in the group.
“I managed to keep another couple of clean sheets when I was away there and the game time with the Under-21s set me in good stead for playing here.
“It is good to get the game finally for Ross County and it shows my work ethic and the way I train has been worth it.
“Big Ross has done really well, so it hasn’t been easy to get the nod to play.
“If you look at his performances, you can’t fault him for anything.
“I knew I could be busy and it would be a tough game but I relished the challenge.
“We had a couple of chances but for me, as a goalkeeper and as part of the defensive unit, the clean sheet is really important.
“We just need to build on that. If we can do that and start taking some more of our chances, results will certainly follow.”