Greg Docherty 'frustrated' at having to miss Hibs' trip to Rangers after first game in four months

After having, effectively, had his career put on hold for four months, Greg Docherty is frustrated to find himself being forced to hit the pause button only minutes after pulling on a green and white shirt for the first time.

One of three transfer deadline-day arrivals, the midfielder is desperate to get as much game time as possible but on Wednesday night he’ll find himself watching from stand as Hibs face Rangers at Ibrox thanks to the rules governing loan deals.

But, he insisted, once he finally gets going, Hibs fans will see a totally different player to the one they probably remember from his Hamilton Accies’ days, where they move he earned to Rangers was followed by a season farmed out to Shrewsbury Town.

Greg Docherty is frustrated to miss out against parent club Rangers on Wednesday but has Sunday's Scottish Cup clash with BSC Glasgow in his sights

Docherty managed just five matches on his return to Ibrox, a substitute appearance as Hibs came from behind to draw 2-2 with St Mirren, his first action since August, the 38 minutes he enjoyed, he claimed, giving the home fans only a glimpse of what he believes he can bring to the squad.

Revealing he’d only met his new team-mates on the day of the game, the 23-year-old said: “This is a good platform for me to get games and I think I can strengthen this team. Once everyone gets in and we get to know each other a bit, there’s a lot to come from the squad.

“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind but everyone has been very welcoming which was great for me and I’m feeling positive going forward.”

Docherty will have to wait until Sunday’s Scottish Cup tie with Lowland League outfit BSC Glasgow for his next chance to play, admitting: “The frustrating thing for me after playing the best part of a half is that I’m ineligible for the next game.

“But hopefully I can play some minutes on Sunday. It’s going to be a different test, a difficult venue but a real chance for us to progress in the cup and that’s got to be our aim.”

Being around Rangers players has improved Docherty

After playing 43 games for League One outfit Shrewsbury last season, and being named their player of the year, Docherty knew he was facing a fight to force his way into Rangers boss Steven Gerrard’s side but, despite playing only those five games – four of them in the Europa League – at the beginning of the season, he feels he has continued to improve as a player.

He said: “I was prepared to sit and wait for an opportunity, it’s well documented that in my position Rangers are really strong in that area. But I have learned a lot and I think I have actually improved being in and around top quality players day in, day out.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself and I think given time and with some more minutes under my belt I can get some goals, assists and that drive the fans want to see.

“In the last year I have managed to add some quality to my game, I’m not just that energetic midfielder and with the squad I have around me I think it will be good.”

Docherty, along with his fellow new arrivals Paul McGinn and Marc McNulty, found himself thrust into the action within the first hour against St Mirren, a game which had started with the Buddies taking advantage of some woeful defending to build a two-goal lead.

Conor McCarthy powered in to head home Cameron MacPherson’s corner – again highlighting Hibs’ vulnerability at set pieces – before Ilkay Durmus skipped past David Gray, who made way at half-time for McGinn, far too easily to cut the ball back for Tony Andreu to guide it into the far corner of Ofir Marciano’s net.

Scott Allan and Christian Doidge, who twisted his neck to reach a Stephane Omeonga cross to nod home his 15th goal of the season, had Hibs level by half-time but despite the introduction of the new boys Hibs were unable to engineer a winner, leaving them with a sixth draw at home this season, five of those games having, incredibly, ended 2-2.

The continual leak of points explains why the club finds itself playing catch-up in the race for a place in next season’s Europa League, Hibs now very much the outsiders.

'Unacceptable start'

And, revealed Docherty, the head coach had made it clear the start they’d made to this particular game was “not really acceptable”.

He said: “As a squad, it was a bit of a disappointed dressing room to have started the game in the manner we did.

“It’s been a demanding schedule for the boys of late but we just need to keep pushing, it’s a big game on Wednesday, then Sunday and then another midweek game.

“But to bounce back was good, we were good in spells but there’s more to come from this squad.”