Linlithgow Rose: Returning Alan Docherty sets out club's path to Lowland League

Rose are seven points behind pacesetters Tranent in third with a game in hand, but still have two head-to-head encounters to come against the Foresters Park side – the first of which is at Tranent on Tuesday night.

Frontman Docherty was sidelined for nine weeks due to ankle and Achilles injuries, which coincided with Rose losing three in a row, but he’s back to full fitness and aiming to fire the Prestonfield men to glory.

“We’ve got five league games left and I know we have a tough run in, but we know we need to win all five to have a chance of winning this league,” said Docherty ahead of a trip to Jeanfield Swifts tomorrow.

“The confidence is back with the run we are on. As a squad we go into every game believing and confident we should be winning, it’s just about working your socks off and trying to grind out these wins.

“We’ve got the cup competitions as well to keep us motivated, and it’s not impossible to say we couldn’t win all three trophies. That’s not the expectation but it’s the hope for all the players in the changing room.”

The 25-year-old has netted twice in his two starts since returning from injury, both from free-kicks, as he continued:

“It was tough coming to watch and knowing I couldn’t help the team out when I was injured. The confidence was low, there was a couple of games there was a lucky break when we were in control and should’ve won.

“I scored on my first start against Hill of Beath in the cup, I scored a free-kick which was the first time I’ve done that in about 7 or 8 years, and then on Saturday against Sauchie I scored another free-kick.

“I’m not usually on free-kicks, I just decided to have a pop and it looks like I’ve nailed how to hit a free-kick from the edge of the box. Any free-kick from distance, I’ll be taking the ball!”