Arbroath striker who shocked Parkhead looks to go one better

Wednesday 12 December 2012

STEVEN DORIS' 15 minutes of fame is now well into its second week.

Steven Doris, the hero of Arbroath's 1-1 draw at Parkhead, wants Neil Lennon to play his strongest team when Celtic visit this evening. Picture: Steve Welsh/SNS

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The Arbroath striker's goal at Celtic Park not only secured a draw for his side in their William Hill Scottish Cup fourth-round tie but also ensured the plaudits would continue up to tonight's replay.

It would be quite something if the 24-year-old could repeat the feat and take his side into the fifth round but, failing that, he will always have the adulation he has received from friends, family and work-mates over the past 11 days to look back on. Doris spent four seasons at St Johnstone without making the breakthrough and now works full-time in an Argos stockroom to supplement his income, meaning moments in the football spotlight have been few and far between. In the circumstances, he may feel he is entitled to milk it for all it is worth.

Doris' goal sparked three distinct noises. The first was the Celtic crowd venting their frustration at their side throwing away a lead late in the game. Minutes later came the sound of thousands of fixed-odds coupon being torn up. Then, an hour or so later, there was the unmistakable noise of bottles and cans being fizzed open as the Arbroath players began their celebrations then kept them going all the way to England."Our Christmas night was in Newcastle right after the game and so getting that result just topped it all off," revealed Doris. "They organised a bus to take us direct from the stadium and we got a few drinks down our necks. There were a few crates of beer waiting for us on the bus so we just started right away. We were down there for two nights and the result made it even better for the boys. Scoring at Celtic Park tops anything I've ever done. Speaking to your friends and family, they're all so proud of you."Teams like Celtic occasionally stumble against lesser opposition once but rarely twice. Arbroath can only hope that their Gayfield stadium, perched right on the North Sea, can help turn things in their favour. The second division club's facilities are not as basic or primitive as has been suggested but, for Celtic's pampered stars, it may still be something of an eye-opener. "I don't think Celtic will want to come to Gayfield, especially on a cold Wednesday night," added Doris. "I don't think they'll fancy it. There won't be many of them who have played at a ground like ours before. It will give them a taste of what we go through every week. The facilities are quite different at Gayfield compared to Celtic Park, things like the changing areas and the showers are a lot smaller. I think the home dressing room's actually a lot better than the away one – it will be a lot worse for them. It might be a bit of a culture shock for them as I don't think they'll expect it to be like that, especially the foreign players who probably haven't played at a Scottish ground down the leagues. Guys like Scott Brown will know what it's all about but some of the foreign boys won't have a clue as to what to expect."Doris hopes Brown plays tonight as part of a full-strength Celtic side. The Arbroath player got so caught up in the celebrations that followed his Celtic Park goal that he forgot to follow up his earlier enquiry about swapping shirts. He hopes to not make the same mistake this time. "I would love to play against their strongest side. They put out a few weaker players the last time but, hopefully, we've won their respect and they put out some of their better players for the replay. You want to play against the best. I asked a few of the players for a top [during the original tie] and they agreed, but after the game I was too caught up in the celebrations to get one. I'd love to get Scott Brown's after the replay if he's playing."Doris will have put in a day's graft before he even gets to the ground, completing a six-hour shift at Argos in Perth before hotfooting it to the game. He just hopes no Christmas presents get mixed up as he daydreams about putting Celtic to the sword once more. "Hopefully, I'll send out the right items down the conveyor belt as my mind might be on other things," he laughed. "I played against Rangers last year which was brilliant, so to get another chance of playing a top team is really exciting."

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Arbroath striker who shocked Parkhead looks to go one better

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