NICOLA Docherty says it was a special occasion to mark her 200th appearance for the club with an emphatic Old Firm victory this afternoon.
The captain was presented with a framed shirt by head coach, Leanne Crichton, prior to the game, before marshalling a defence which secured a clean sheet and watched on as Katie Wilkinson’s brace was added to by fine strikes from Laura Berry and Mia McAulay.
It was as emphatic as they come in matches between these two teams, ringing up a fifth Old Firm victory of the campaign for the Gers to ensure they travel to face Glasgow City in seven days’ time with a chance at lifting the league title.
Speaking to RangersTV after the victory, Docherty says she couldn’t have celebrated the milestone in better fashion: “I wouldn’t have wanted to know it was my 200th appearance if the result went any other way!
“It was a really nice surprise, and the kitwoman stitched the number 200 on my shirt.
“It’s one that I wasn’t aware of, so to have that surprise before the game and receive the framed shirt from the club is really special.
“This is the club that I love, and I have done since I was a young kid.
“To play for this club 200 times is really special, and it’s one that I’ll take with me forever.”
Rangers produced one of their best performances of the campaign to down their city rivals, racing out to a two-goal lead in the opening period through another Wilkinson brace.
Berry then struck inside a minute of the second period before McAulay added a fourth when her cross looped over the Celtic goalkeeper.
On the display, Docherty added: “I remember speaking to the girls and saying that if you start these games with intensity and aggression, winning your duels, then we’ll have a really good chance of winning the game. I thought the girls did that.
“There were perhaps moments, and we touched on it at half-time, where we could have done better, and certainly if you treat these fixtures the way we did in the first-half was absolutely outstanding. I’m so proud of the group today.
“We knew this game was a must-win. And that’s the way this season has been.
"We always know that it goes to the last day, and credit to the girls for digging deep and getting the result because the pressure was definitely on us to go and get that.
“We know it’ll be a really difficult game going away to Glasgow City. We know they’re a top team, so we need to give them respect.
“It will be a tough one, but it’s one we’re really looking forward to because we know there’s another fixture going on elsewhere.
“We need to be really on it to go get those three points because you never know what’s going to happen.”
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